Gunny's Whore
by Citation-2
Summary: 1991: a distraught widower finds comfort in the arms of a young night club dancer and whore, before they part ways. 2010: life, fate and a murder case bring them together again. What will happen next? Gibbs X Tony SLASH. AU.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I thought it was about time I posted one of my favorite stories among the ones I wrote. I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

**Gunny's Whore **

**By **

**Gunnery Sergeant**

_Thank you so much to __**Finlaure**__, my terrific beta reader._

**Part One**

**I**

**Somewhere near Oceanside, California, mid-June 1991**

Marine Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs stumbled along the sand covered road, trying to reach his car. The few people he met looked at him with reprobation believing him drunk, but he wasn't. He was stone cold sober—and yet completely not himself.

How could he be 'all right' after he had spent the past five hours sitting on a deserted beach, staring at his gun and trying to decide if it was best to put it in his mouth or press it against his temple before he pulled the trigger?

In the end, Gibbs had done neither of the actions. Killing himself would have been too easy a way out, and he was everything but a coward. Also, he didn't regret killing the bastard that had murdered his wife and daughter. It had been the right thing to do since justice had failed, and if Lieutenant Macy decided to charge him with murder, well, so be it. He would face the martial court and pay the price for his actions… but all he wanted now was peace.

The MP Officer had interrogated him for four straight hours that morning, bringing him almost to his breaking point. He had almost admitted everything just to make her shut up and let him mourn his family in peace—but then she had let him go.

Still on medical leave because of his damaged knee, Gibbs had escaped from Camp Pendleton and driven along the coast, until he had found the secluded beach where he, Shannon and Kelly had spent his last leave before he had been deployed in the Middle East.

He had sat there near the remains of the bonfire he had built eight months before, surrounded by the crash of the waves and the echoes of his girls' voices and laughter, feeling the almost irresistible pull to put an end to his suffering and desperation with a well placed bullet to his head.

But sanity and pride had prevailed. Well, more pride than sanity. Just the previous day the base doctor had said Gibbs would soon be able to return to active duty, and the Marine knew there were a lot of ongoing black ops in South and Central America. Ops requiring skilled snipers and he was one of the best in Camp Pendleton. He hoped to be sent to carry on one of the ops, the more dangerous the better. He didn't feel like killing himself, but getting killed on a mission, that wouldn't be too bad- as long as he first carried out his task. It would be a good way to go and be with his girls again.

Gibbs stumbled again, badly, and fell face first on the road.

"God," he muttered to himself when he used his arms to push him up and saw how badly they were shaking. He wasn't in any shape to drive back to the base. He would need to sleep in the car…or maybe not, because he could see a hotel neon sign just a few yards in front of him. With a bit of luck there would be a free room and maybe something to eat too.

He left the gun in his car, hidden beneath the driver's seat, and then walked toward the hotel, which looked like a small family-managed establishment with a big hall serving as restaurant/bar/tavern on the ground floor and rooms at the first floor. Beside the building, there was a large courtyard filled with tables and chairs. Another place opened on the same courtyard, but it was located a few yards away from the road and the neon sign said 'Sensual Delights Night Club'.

Gibbs smirked as he imagined the kind of delights the place offered. As he walked towards the entrance of the hotel, he heard a sound that stopped him dead in his tracks.

Somewhere nearby, a woman was laughing.

It was a young and vibrant sound, fresh and full of innocence and merriment. So much like Shannon's he had to almost forcefully prevent himself from following it.

_Idiot,_ he growled to himself. _It's not her. It can never be her. Now go in that damned hotel, Marine, and get some sleep. You've got a medical exam tomorrow afternoon and you want to pass it_.

Once inside the hotel, Gibbs found it deserted, which didn't bode well for the quality of the service offered, since usually all the hotels on the coast were booked full during the summer. But he had slept on bare ground while in Kuwait, so even a shitty hotel would do for tonight.

"Can I help you, sir?" a balding man with crooked grin called from behind the counter he was tending to.

"I need a room for the night," Gibbs answered.

The man scanned him to head to foot, and frowned. Gibbs thought he might be concerned by his lack of luggage and answered to that by pulling out his wallet and showing him his credit card.

The guy smiled again and commented, "You came to the right place, buddy." He left the counter and limped to the reception desk and picked a set of keys. He put them in front of Gibbs and took the offered credit card, ready to charge it. "How long will you be staying?"

"Just tonight."

The young, female laugh of before floated into the hall from the opened doors.

Before he could stop himself, Gibbs turned towards the sound. The laugh drifted away and he needed every single ounce of his self-control not to dart after it. Somewhere in the hotel's kitchen a metal tray fell to the floor with a crashing sound followed by a stream of curses.

Blinking, Gibbs turned again towards the hotel owner to find the man looking at him thoughtfully.

He became tense.

"Can I offer you anything else?" asked the guy.

"Something to eat," growled Gibbs, eyeing the bald man with the same glare he used with the men under his command during drills.

"It's included in the room's price," answered the hotel owner. "There's a menu in the room. You can phone me with what you want after you've decided."

Gibbs was about to grunt in assent and pick the card when the female laughter floated again into the tavern as if it had been a wave of cool, soothing water. Before he could stop himself, he abruptly turned towards the open door and walked there.

The Marine tensed and whirled around when he sensed someone step near him and saw the hotel owner hand him his credit card. He put it back in his wallet, conscious of the way the other man was looking at him.

"What?" he growled, but the guy didn't seemed put out by it.

"Would you like something else besides the room and the meal?" the man asked in a bland tone.

Gibbs tensed even more. "What do you mean?"

The guy offered him his crooked but friendly smile. "You know what I mean, buddy. Some company and entertainment for the night…"

"I just want a room and a meal," Gibbs growled again, taking a step forward and trying to intimidate the other man with his superior height.

But the hotel owner didn't seem deterred by his menacing tone and stance. "I see the look in your eyes every time you hear that laugh. I bet you've been without a woman for a long time. There's nothing wrong in looking for some company… after all that's the reason most people stay in my place." And then the guy tilted his head toward the nearby night club.

Gibbs realized in a flash why the hotel was empty. It wasn't a place where families went while on vacation. It was a place where the people attending the club went…after the public entertainment had ended and they wanted to continue it in private.

He had ended up in a brothel or something very close to it.

He cursed under his breath. How could have he committed such a mistake? He was about to turn on his heels and leave, but then he stopped. If this was a brothel, it certainly had beds in its rooms and a bed was what he needed now.

"You look tired, buddy," the hotel owner said again. "You look like you need a good night of sleep, but you're so tense I doubt you'll be able to rest. But I bet one of Cassie's girls would make you relax in no time. They are all gorgeous, clean and skilled."

"I don't go to clubs," Gibbs growled as he inwardly cursed again. What was he doing, offering explanations to a nosey stranger? Why didn't he just go to his room, away from people he did not want to talk to? He was indeed not himself…any other time he would have already decked this man for his suggestions. Now instead he stood there unable to grab the keys and just walk toward the stairs.

Why wasn't he doing that? Why had his body reacted with interest to the man's offer?

Gibbs closed his eyes. Sleep. A good night of sleep. How long had it been since he had been able to sleep a whole night without nightmares? How long since he had been able to relax, to really relax and rest? Longer than he care to admit, longer than he dared to remember.

Sleep.

A woman.

Relief.

Peace.

Sleep.

When he opened his eyes, he saw his own defeat in the other man's knowing eyes.

"You don't have to go at the club…" the man said then limped towards the doors. He put his head out and shouted in a voice that would make a Drill Instructor proud, "Cassie!"

Gibbs bit his lower lip. What was he doing? It was wrong yet somehow he felt unable to stop what had already been set into motion.

"Cassie!" the guy bellowed again.

"I'm on my way! I'm on my way, you ass! Do you think I have nothing to do but come running just because you demand it?" a breathy voice answered.

The hotel owner turned towards Gibbs and offered him a grin just before a woman entered the hall. She was about forty, blond, very attractive, and dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"What do you want, Rick?" she growled as she smacked the guy on the arm with a folded Chinese fan she carried in her hand but it was obvious she wasn't serious. Her voice carried a hint of affection and her smile was genuine.

"What do men usually want from you, Cas?" asked Rick cheekily.

Cassie arched her eyebrows, "Well, when they aren't after my money, they are after my girls…" she said then caught sight of Gibbs.

The club owner…brothel mistress…whatever… squinted her eyes to get a better look at him, standing as he was in the shadows of the early evening. Her knowing gaze ran down his body with the appreciative glint of a cattle merchant and Gibbs felt his cheeks redden.

Cassie fanned herself. "With those looks I doubt you need to pay a woman to get in her bed so you must be after my money," she concluded. "What's your business?"

"Cas!" snapped Rick. "My friend here wants some discreet entertainment. Can you send one of your girls? The usual rate-"

Cassie didn't look sorry for her mistake. Instead, she smacked Rick with the fan again.

"There is no one today. I'm closed, you know? The air conditioning system needed to be repaired. I gave a day of vacation to everyone."

Rick shook his head, "No, no, no, my dear. My friend and I distinctly heard a woman laugh near the courtyard a few moments ago—and it wasn't you, so one of your girls is here."

Cassie looked at Rick as if she wanted to incinerate him, but he just narrowed his eyes. "You still own me five hundreds dollar for the lobsters I procured for your last party," he reminded her with a falsely gentle tone, and despite of everything Gibbs couldn't help but smile at his determination.

With a sigh, Cassie admitted, "Well, Dixie is there…"

"Then send her here, room 17. The usual rate." Then he turned to Gibbs and flashed him a crooked grin, "You're lucky, buddy. Dixie is petite, with gorgeous, long, red hair…a real spitfire."

Upon hearing a description with could have fit Shannon like a glove, Gibbs felt himself pale as a look of pure horror appeared on his face.

"No!" he barked. "Not a red head! Anyone, but not a red head!"

Cassie and Rick looked at him surprised and taken aback by his reaction, and then the man raised his hands, palms up, in a placating gesture. "Okay," he said in a gentle tone. "No Dixie for you." He turned to look at the club owner, "Are you sure there is no one else?"

Cassie fanned herself as she answered slowly, "Well, there could be Tony, if with 'anyone' your friend here meant he swings both ways…"

Two set of eyes turned to fix on Gibbs and for some reason he couldn't explain he nodded.

"Good!" Rick smiled. "Then it's settled. Go to fetch the kid," he said to Cassie.

"Okay. He'll be here in half an hour!" she shouted as she disappeared into the courtyard.

Rick turned towards Gibbs with a satisfied grin. "Come on, let me show you the way to your room." He moved inside of the hotel, toward the stairs at pointed with his finger, "First floor, and fourth door on the right."

Gibbs looked at him dumbly. He could not believe what was happening to him. He had entered that anonymous hotel searching for a bed and some food and somehow found himself purchasing a whore… No, worse than that, he found himself having an unknown man buying a whore for him—a male one on top of that.

It was madness. The Marine told himself he should simply turn on his heels and go away- but his body had a mind of its own.

He moved towards the stairs before he even noticed he was walking. On the threshold, he stopped and turned to Rick as he dug his fingers in his pocket, "How much…" he started but Rick stopped him with a hand over his.

"It's on the house," he said. "The room, the meal and the boy…"

Gibbs raised his eyebrows quizzically and Rick smiled his crooked grin. "You're a Marine. I've always wanted to be one, but I was born with one leg shorter than the other, so I couldn't join the Corps. You're also a veteran and I can see you've just passed through hell. So, as someone who has the upmost respect for the people who serve the US, please give me the honor to help to make you feel a little better, if only for tonight, eh?"

Gibbs was speechless. During his years in the Corps he had met people who had mocked his uniform or looked at him with disapproval. He had also met people who had showed admiration for his job, but no one with the same sincerity and feeling as Rick's.

He swallowed with difficulty as he nodded.

"Keep the cash for Tony. Give him a fat tip," the other man said, smiling and patting his arm. "Rest assured he deserves it."

Rick walked away and almost without noticing it, Gibbs stepped up the stairs and walked toward his room, which turned out to be large, airy, clean and comfortable.

The Marine perused it, then sat down on the bed, only to stand again and go to the bathroom, where he splashed his face with cold water trying to clear his mind. God, how had he gotten involved in the current situation? He just wanted to be left by himself. He just wanted be left in peace. To drop on the bed and sleep…

Instead, he had been saddled with a whore. A _male_ whore.

Why he hadn't told the truth? That he wasn't interested in guys? His only experience with other men had been a session of mutual masturbation during his time at Parris Island, out of curiosity and a dare. Back then, he had known a couple of the men living in his same barrack that had been involved with each other, and one of them had tried to gauge his possible interest in joining them. Gibbs hadn't decked the guy as some of his other recruits had done when approached with the same the proposal, but had made absolutely clear he wasn't interested because he only liked women.

Yet, for reasons he couldn't understand, he had said yes when he asked his was interested in a boy.

_Oh hell,_ _I'll just tell him I changed my mind when he arrives_, Gibbs told himself as he dried his face and returned from the bedroom.

He had just finished removing his boots when he heard a knock at the door. Without waiting for permission, whoever it was opened the door and entered the room.

The first thing that Gibbs noticed was how young the boy looked. He was tall, almost as tall as him, but slender… coltish, with a body that still had to fill up with muscles. He was tanned, his brown hair shining in the late afternoon Californian sun that entered from the open window. He was dressed in a pair of dark brown linen pants and a loose, green button down shirt that matched his eyes and sported a bright, broad, all-American smile. He looked like a college student and the Marine could not help but wonder what he was doing in a place like this working as a whore.

.

OK, this the start. Let me know what you think…remember reviews: 1) make me happy and I badly need some cheering up due to a current family situation ; 2) make me update faster. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, I want to thank all of you for the reviews. I was overwhelmed by your response. Thank you. My family situation is the kind that cannot improve but only get worse before the end. It has to be seen how long it will last...:( So I really appreciated the time you took to write a review...reading them took my mind away from what is happening and it was good to relax and smile a bit.**

**I think I replied to all the signed reviews (even if Fanfiction net is making it very difficult); my apologies if I forgot someone. A big "Thank You" to May, IsobelAnis, Leigh, Leah, Tinkerbellblu83 and Poppydoo for their reviews.**

**.**

**II**

Anthony DiNozzo, Tony for everyone but his father, who insisted in calling him Junior, despite- or perhaps because of—the youth's dislike for it, carefully studied the man standing in front of him. Taking his measure and doing it right was the key to avoiding problems and adding another satisfied customer to Cassie's and his own list.

His boss had been right. This guy was tall and strapping, still young and handsome in a rugged, weathered sort of way.

Broad shouldered, he was fit but in a lean kind of way, without any of the bulging mass of muscles a lot of Marines – 'cause he was a Marine, there was little doubt about it– sported. Those guys made Tony think of rhinos, full of strength but slow; this one instead was more like a panther: sleek, agile, powerful and dangerous.

Tony felt a thrill ran along his spine, and licked his lips. This was the kind of 'john' that made up for all the fat, balding guys he had to serve in his line of work.

The young man could see the guy was puzzled by his look and he was ready to bet the man was wondering 'why a kid like him had ended in a place like this'.

Tony had been asked more than once, but he had never answered or, if he had uttered some kind of reply, he had told a lie. However, should he ever decide to tell the truth, he would say he had arrived in Oceanside the previous year, on vacation. He had been enjoying himself on the beaches until, one day, he had discovered some burglars had entered his motel room while he was out and stolen everything but the clothes he was wearing and the money and documents in his pocket.

Tony had then phoned his father to ask him to send him the money to buy a plane ticket to return to Columbus. His old man, who had never approved of Tony's decision to major in Phys Ed instead of law or economics, had said no.

Anthony DiNozzo Sr. had told Tony that since the summer had just started and there were certainly plenty of temporary jobs available in California, he could work to raise the money he needed to go back to Ohio State University. After many protests and pleas, his father had relented a bit. Senior had promised to step in and help if Tony couldn't raise enough money to buy a plane ticket by the end of the summer, but he had been irremovable about the fact the boy would have to work to support himself during the following two months.

Upset and in sore need of cash because the motel owner wanted to be paid and he also needed food and new clothes, Tony had gone looking for a job. He had entered Cassie' club when he had heard she was looking for a waiter. At the end of an hour long conversation, he had been hired—but not to serve at the tables.

Cassie had wanted him to perform as a dancer on one of the various small stages scattered along her club. Tony knew he looked damn good and had never been shy to bare his body so he found the idea much more appealing than taking drink orders and wiping down tables.

The very next evening, after a crash course on what was expected from him, he had made his debut on the stage. He had been an immediate, smashing success. Women and men had flocked around his stage to see him dance, caressing him with eyes and sometime with their hands, covering him with compliments, suggestive comments, innuendos and making him all the kind of proposals, each one more indecent than the next.

In the beginning Tony had been taken aback by it. He had been flattered so many people – beautiful, stunning women and handsome, hot guys – had been so interested in him, but he hadn't know what Cassie thought of it. By the end of his second night of work, he had realized that his boss was more than okay with him accepting proposals, because, well, that was part of his job too—if he agreed with it, of course.

Tony hadn't been pushed to sell himself. Cassie had asked him more than once if he was really sure and he had been. Or, at least, he had been sure he wanted to give it a try. So the club owner had gave him several tips about safety and told him to get ready, because he would have a long night.

That had been the start of his 'career' at the _Sensual Delights_—and he had never regretted his choice.

Tony liked his job. Getting paid – and very well – to have sex was like a dream for the hormone-driven nineteen-year-old. Also, it had turned out he was considered damn good at what he did. And what male didn't enjoy hearing he was a god between the sheets?

Tony was popular, sought after and had the time of his life. It hadn't taken him long to raise the money for the plane ticket but he had never used it. Instead he had had his things shipped from Columbus and settled in Oceanside, in a nice, three-room apartment Cassie had put at his disposal. He still intended to complete college, but not right now. Now he was too busy making money—something his father would certainly approve of, although Tony was ready to bet he would have a stroke if he knew how his son was making it.

Tony returned to the present and to the man who was staring wild-eyed at him. It was a weird kind of look. There was no lust in his blue eyes and handsome features, just confusion.

"I'm Tony," he said, wanting to break the ice.

"Go away," growled the man and Tony arched a surprised eyebrow.

"I was told you wanted a guy," he retorted, stepping closer to his client and reaching out a hand to caress his cheek. The man didn't back away, but his eyes widened, as if he was surprised by Tony's actions—or maybe by the lack of his own?

Was the older man a novice at this? Probably. But a novice at hiring a whore or a novice with guys? He would need to discover which—and it would be easier to deal with him. Tony had told Cassie so after he had heard her concerns when she had come to fetch him.

"_I don't like him," Cassie muttered pacing into his small kitchen/living room as Tony prepped himself in the bathroom._

"_That's the third time you said it," he answered, as he went to his bedroom to dress, "Yet you cannot explain why. You said he doesn't look like he is on drugs, that he's a Marine, and that he's hot. What's wrong in that?" _

"_That's exactly the problem," replied his boss, waving her index finger. "He's too hot to go around paying for sex. I'd say women and men are ready to pay for him…and he had this strange reaction when he heard Dixie is a red head…"_

"_Who knows? Perhaps he likes kinky stuff, but he's scared of red head women 'cause they remind him of a very hard mistress…" Tony teased, fully knowing Cassie's dislike for certain practices. _

_She all but squealed, "That's it! Tony, you aren't going there! I'll tell Rick that you aren't feeling well and-"_

"_Don't be silly, Cas! You know as well as me that business has been a bit slow after the police's inspection last month. We can't afford to turn down a potential new regular. Also, you said Rick is paying for him, and he's a good judge of people. The guy's not a pervert, trust me. He's probably just difficult, but don't worry, I'll be able to handle him all right. And in any case Eddie the bouncer will be in the corridor, ready to come to the rescue, so I'll be okay…"_

_With a sigh, Cassie patted Tony's shoulder and capitulated. "Go," she said, "But be careful… Very careful…I don't like the look in his eyes…"_

Tony looked at the guy's eyes, but found nothing worrisome in them. He didn't seem to be drunk or on drugs, just very tense…worried…confused. As if he was wondering what he was doing in the room. Was he another 'victim' of Rick's desire to be good to Marines? It wouldn't be the first time an unsuspecting guy had stopped at the hotel looking for a bed and found himself dealing with a very special kind of room service. Tony decided to push a bit more and then back away if the man wasn't receptive.

"I can make you feel so good, Marine," he said, circling the man and brushing his shoulders and back with his hand.

The man tensed even more. "Why do you call me 'Marine'?" he asked in a low, menacing tone.

Tony laughed, "Look at you! Only military guys stand the way you do, as if you're awaiting orders…and then there is that weird haircut…" He slowly raised his hand and put it over the short cropped hair atop of his client's head, stroking it gently. He had very soft hair, dark brown but he could see some grey strands here and there.

"Go away," the guy repeated, sounding weary and weak.

Tony pursed his lips.

Difficult. The man was a difficult one. Sullen and moody but yet needy. The young whore could sense it...almost smell it. He was the kind of guy who hated himself for his neediness, for his perceived weakness.

He was a challenge—and Tony loved challenges. So he shook his head and answered, "You don't want me to go away, Marine. You want me to stay and make you feel so good and that's why I'm here… Why don't you relax? I promise you it'll be worth it…" He caressed the man's tense shoulders and back, trying to relax him, but the Marine moved away and walked toward the window, opening it and breathing the sea-scented air in deeply.

"Go away," he repeated for a third time, "I'll give you the money… nobody needs to know that you-"

Tony's eyes flashed with anger as he hissed, carefully articulating each word, "I may be a whore, but I'm not a beggar! I don't need your charity- I earn my money."

.

So, now we have met Tony too...…Let me know what you think of him and if you think he will be able to make Gibbs change his mind…remember reviews make me smile and update faster!


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to: Tinkerbellblu83, May and Hotshow for the reviews!**

**III**

Gibbs flinched at the youth's anger. _He's a fighter,_ he thought. He looked so young, refined, his touch gentle when he had stroked his back and hair, but he instead was strong, a fierce scrap.

Somehow that short, impassioned tirade made something click inside Gibbs. This wasn't a kid he would be taking advantage of. This was a professional, who was there to offer him a service. Someone who was there to do his job and was proud of his skills—and Gibbs felt his body react to it.

Maybe it was just because he was completely out of phase. Maybe it was just the lack of sleep and the tension he had suffered in the past months. Maybe it was the need to forget his tragedy, if only for a short while and have some respite. Maybe it was all of it—or was none of it. Whatever it was, Gibbs was now decided to make use of the youth's skills…and then lock the experience in a corner of his mind, to never be taken it out again.

His decision made, he grinned weakly and nodded, signaling his agreement.

The kid smiled back.

The guy was sullen, moody and probably a bastard but he had a nice smile. And his blue eyes were sparkling like sapphires, but with a hint of softness… and a good dose of sadness. Perhaps he was just a lonely man.

"That's better, Marine," Tony commented as his fingers started caressing the man's chest. "Now, will you tell me what you want or do you prefer that I discover it by myself?"

His fingers slid below his client's waist and touched his cock. The guy was already hard, and seemed to be of a decent size too. Tony licked his lips with lascivious intent and smirked up at the man.

Gibbs gasped at the touch on his cock, and closed his eyes. He hadn't realized how hard he had gotten in the scant minutes since he had made his decision to go along with this, and the press of those skilled fingers on his erection had been unexpected…and so very good.

He didn't answer Tony's question about what he wanted, but the youth wasn't put off by it.

"I think we better discover what you want together," he breathed against Gibbs' ear, making him shudder. "But first of all, let's take care of this…" And Tony touched him again.

His eyes snapping open, Gibbs swallowed painfully and tried to think of something to say but his tongue seemed to have deserted him. And it took his mind and will too. Instead, his cock was painfully alert and aware.

Tony's hands moved towards his belt and before he could stop him, the youth had already unbuckled it, lowered the zipper of his slacks and pulled them down to pool around his feet. Gibbs numbly stepped out of them, as Tony quickly divested him of his white shirt and tossed it on the nearby chair.

Tony took a step back to better appreciate the Marine.

He was more than handsome. He was gorgeous in a rugged, masculine way, all tanned skin and well-developed muscles that spoke of strength and agility but also of discipline and control. Tony felt his cock give an interested twitch. It had been a long time one of his clients had looked so hot. He seemed to attract far too many older guys with bodies that were nothing like this man's.

He went down to his knees and, without hesitation, tugged the Marine's white briefs and pulled them down, freeing his straining cock.

"Easy, Marine," he said with a smile, "Tony will take care of this…"

He was big, larger than he had guessed, and more than ready. Perhaps it would not be so difficult after all. Guys were usually so predictable. Most demanded nothing more than a hand job and they were off. But he planned to do something else to this Marine…

As he spoke, Tony moved forward and slid his tongue along the guy's rock-hard erection.

The Marine gasped but before he could speak, the young whore took him in his mouth and gently sucked him, his tongue alternately caressing the sensitive underside and swirling around the swollen head.

While he sucked and worked him with his tongue, Tony used his nails to gently caress the back of the Marine's thighs and couldn't but smirk with satisfaction when the guy started to unconsciously rock his hips. Nevertheless, Tony could still feel him trying to resist his ministration. Trying to deny the release his body was screaming for…

Tony used one of his hands to still the man by firmly grabbing his thigh while he gently scraped the Marine's lower back above the crevice that divided his buttocks. The young man heard his client hiss, yet the guy redoubled his effort not to let himself go.

_Stubborn,_ Tony thought with a smirk, as he went on working the older man, letting him have his way for a moment, before he took his hand from the guy's back and instead slid it up the inside of his thighs. The Marine automatically spread his legs wider, giving Tony the access he needed. The young man lightly caressed the bulging, hard testicles, then slid his middle finger behind the scrotum and touched the sensitive skin there, moving his finger tip in a circle.

Gibbs felt as if he had been stuck by a lightning. His head reeled and his lower body throbbed like a giant pulse.

Reflexively, he grabbed the youth's hair with both his hands, seeking an anchor in the middle of the storm that seemed to have engulfed him. What he was doing… what he was making him feel…

The youth moved his finger tip again and Gibbs stopped thinking.

With a roar, the Marine came in a seemingly endless torrent. The room darkened. His legs shuddered when his knees failed him. He felt strong hands guiding him as the floor seemed to rise towards him.

Blinking and gasping, he fell on the bed. The last thing he saw was a pair of shining green eyes looking down at him…

**IV**

Gibbs regained consciousness little by little to find he was looking at the room's ceiling, noticing a crack in the plaster and some mold and distractedly thinking Rick would need to check if it was caused by a leaking pipe… His mind drifted away but he was abruptly brought back to reality by a pair of large, strong hands on his lower body and a soft, humming noise.

The youth was there, sitting on the bed by his side, wiping him down and humming some kind of tune as he worked.

He showed no hint of embarrassment or hesitation about the intimate task he was performing, just the same determination he had shown while pleasuring him with his talented mouth. At the memory of the way the kid had worked him and the realization of what he was doing, Gibbs felt himself blush for the second time in an hour. Weakly protesting, he tried to move away from the younger man's hands.

Tony raised his head and flashed him that megawatt smile of his, but didn't take his hands from his body.

"Good to see you're back, Marine," he said and moved to go on cleaning him.

"No…" babbled Gibbs trying again to slide away from him. But his body refused to obey.

"Shhhhh," said Tony, "Don't be a child… I told you I'd take care of everything… Now, spread your legs wider so I can clean you…"

Before he could think about resisting, Gibbs' thighs obeyed the youth's command and he hissed as his hands washed his scrotum, becoming dangerously close to the sensitive spot Tony had reached… when? Last night? A week ago? Could it be possible that it had only happened a few moments ago?

When he was finally satisfied, Tony stood, went to the mini bar and opened a can of beer. He then helped Gibbs to sit up and put the can in his hand. When he blinked, still obviously confused, Tony assisted him in drinking. The Marine gulped the cool beer anxiously but before long, Tony took the can away from him.

"We don't want to drink too much too soon, do we?" he commented with a cheeky grin. "Even if I suspect it would take an awful lot of beer to knock off that monster you've there, it's better to go slowly."

The youth talked with the ease of a practiced whore but there was nothing cheap about him, and Gibbs wondered once again what a boy like him, who looked so well-educated and well-mannered was doing in this place.

Tony put the can on the desk and stood beside the bed, looking at him with his bright and a bit amused eyes.

"Now, let's see what we can do to ease your mood, Marine," he commented, as he unbuttoned his shirt, threw it on the side, and did the same with his pants.

Gibbs lowered his eyes when he realized what was going on, but he couldn't resist the pull of his curiosity for long. He had to look.

The youth was now completely naked and stood there, calm and at ease, letting Gibbs get his fill of him.

He had broad shoulders, strong, long legs and he was nicely muscled, although it was evident he still had to fill out some. His cock was of a nice size, but not too long or too big…he looked nothing like the guys Gibbs had seen in the porn movie he and Shannon had once rented, to see if there was some stuff they could try. They had stopped watching it pretty soon, turned off by how fake the sex looked and by the exaggerated and equally artificial sizes of breasts and cocks.

But there was nothing artificial in this youth's body, except for the fact it was completely devoid of hair, even around his cock—and Gibbs, who had never looked at another man with lust, found himself captivated by the sight. Captivated and aroused…so aroused he felt almost dizzy.

He raised his head and found himself looking into the youth's knowing eyes.

Tony came closer then knelt on the bed by his side. "Do you want to touch me, Marine?" he breathed and Gibbs felt lust wash over him like an unstoppable force.

The youth gave him a moment but his only answer was a labored breath.

"Do you want to feel how smooth I am?" Tony insisted, straddling his thighs. When Gibbs didn't move, the youth took his hand in his own and brought it to his bare chest, then rested it there.

Slowly, almost against his will, Gibbs' fingers started to move and explore. The youth's skin was warm, incredibly soft and smooth, but it was stretched over hard muscles. The Marine had never imagined a man could feel like that. Suddenly just feeling wasn't enough—he had to taste too.

Tony smiled, as he felt the Marine nuzzle against his neck and chest. Oh, yes. Male clients were so predictable. They thought they were in control but it only took an experienced touch to turn them into mush, even those who weren't really into men, just like this one. Tony was ready to bet this Marine had never been with a man before. He knew it by the careful, too careful way he moved his hands; by how he nuzzled against his sternum, looking for the valley between breasts that would be there had he been a woman.

Tony's suspicions were confirmed a moment later, when the Marine's hand slid down his body, completely ignoring his half-hard cock and slipped between his thighs, looking for a wet pussy. What he found instead was Tony's lubed hole, but apparently the guy was so far gone in his arousal that he found that opening suitable too. He startled circling and brushing it with his fingertips, the sensations so pleasurable Tony's cock hardened further, something that seldom happened when he was with male clients that wanted him to bottom. Oh, he liked to be fucked. He liked it even more than topping, but the problem was none of his clients seemed to be able to give a good fuck and he hadn't the time or the inclination to find himself a lover. Also, as Cassie had said him right from the start, love was a complication a whore couldn't afford.

The young man kissed the top of the Marine's head and kneaded his strong shoulders, enjoying how hard his muscles felt… only to let out a startled gasp when, abruptly, two thick fingers were showed inside his ass.

The man's fingers were long and blunt, strong and callused and they moved with determination, barely giving Tony time to adjust to their presence inside his body. He spread his thighs wider to ease the feeling but the fingers inside him turned more demanding—and more uncomfortable, because there was no way Tony's body could get wetter, which was what the guy was aiming for.

"Easy, Marine…" Tony said and luckily, the man listened to him and stopped moving his hand. The youth rose to his knees and winced as the fingers slid out of his body, rasping against his over sensitized hole. He was about to move away, when a strong arm snaked around his waist and kept him firmly in place, and a loud growl rose from the man's throat.

Tony felt a brief surge of panic. The guy was tall and strong and he could easily hurt him. He had looked mostly shy and confused but there was in him something more and now he could finally identify what that was: a capacity for violence. For swift, murdering violence…he was indeed the panther he had compared him to earlier.

"Easy," Tony repeated again, "let me get a condom and I'll be back, okay?" The hold around his waist loosened a bit, allowing him to stretch to the side and pick up the foil packet he had put on the pillow after the guy had blacked out before.

Tony ripped the foil with his teeth and rolled the lubricated condom on the guy's impressive cock, sparing only a quick glance at the Marine's face before quickly averting his gaze; he had seen many a man lose their control to lust and need but he had never seen anything like the flames burning in those seemingly bottomless orbs.

Before Tony could move or say anything, the Marine grabbed him and forcefully turned him around as he rose to kneel on the bed. The move was so unexpectedly swift that Tony's head reeled and he forgot to breathe. He landed on the mattress on his hands and knees, the strong arm snaking again around his waist and keeping him where the guy wanted him, his other hand boldly caressing his buttocks.

Still struggling to catch his breath, Tony raised his hips in automatic response. Behind him, the man needed no more encouragement and rammed inside him.

Tony squeezed his eyes and bit his lower lip. Shit! He was big indeed. Bigger than any other guy he could remember having taken. He was going to be quite sore after this, but hopefully there wouldn't be tears. Bracing his hands and knees, Tony hung his head and prepared to receive a hard pounding.

Gibbs shuddered. The youth was hot and tight, yet soft. He felt so damn good. A lot better than his mouth had been. He held him tight by the hips, preventing him from moving and speeding up his release. No. He didn't want to come. Not so quickly. He wanted it to last. To last forever. That hot, tight comfort…

Gibbs rested his cheek on the youth's damp back and remained there for a moment. He could feel the kid's ass slightly throbbing around him. It felt so good… He thrust.

Tony bit his lip harder as the Marine moved inside him, thrusting hard, deep and fast, but his body had managed to adapt to his size during those moments the guy had rested on his back, and it wasn't too bad. In fact, had the angle of the penetration been just a little different, Tony would be now enjoying himself…a lot. The man shifted his weight and suddenly that big cock of his started ramming against Tony's prostate with every stroke causing him to cry out with pleasure.

The friction was exquisite and Tony began to harden again. _This gonna be good_, he thought excitedly. He braced with one arm and reached for his cock with the other, but before he could wrap his fingers around his shaft, the Marine growled, thrust as deep as he could inside him and stilled.

Tony closed his eyes in disappointment as the guy stopped moving, moaning softly in the aftermath of what had probably been a violent release.

It was over.

The Marine at his back sighed and collapsed, dragging Tony with him and somehow managing to roll their entwined bodies to avoid crushing the youth beneath his weight.

They fell on their sides and remained there, spooning and still joined.

Tony felt the Marine's even breathing and knew the guy had fallen asleep. Moving slowly, he freed himself from the half embrace, wincing as the spent cock slid out of his body. He left the bed and went to the bathroom, using the mirror over the sink and a piece of tissue paper to check for blood and finding none. His hole was just pink and swollen. Good.

He returned to the bedroom and retrieved his clothes. He slipped his briefs over his still erect cock and put on his pants and shirt while he looked for his socks. Where the hell they were? His eyes posed on the man sleeping on the bed and his fingers stilled on his shirt buttons.

The Marine looked vulnerable and helpless despite his size and obvious strength. Tony took the blanket folded at the foot of the bed and threw it over him, then moved closer and bent to better cover him.

The guy's eyes snapped open and Tony forgot to breathe.

The older man eyed him then licked his lips. Tony licked his own in automatic response. "I have to go," he said softly.

The Marine nodded slightly and Tony straightened. He was about to move away when his wrist was seized in an iron grip. He turned around, startled and found weary blue eyes staring at him.

"You didn't come…" the man murmured, indicating his still tended pants with a tilt of his head. "I'm sorry…"

Tony's eyebrow arched. This was the very first time a john apologized because he hadn't made him come. "Don't worry," he answered with a smile. "It's no big deal."

The Marine frowned, apparently displeased by the answer, and looked at him for a long instant. Then the grip on Tony's wrist loosened and with a sigh the man turned his back to the youth and went back to sleep.

Tony shook his head puzzled and strangely touched by his concern. Then he finished dressing and left the room, but not before murmuring, "Sleep well, Marine."

.

So, did you like the hot action? I hope so! It was different from other scenes I wrote because it was...you know... a 'business' meeting. So it was lust without romantic feelings, which is very unusual for me. Let me know what you think and remember reviews make me update faster!


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to Tinkerbellblu83 for the review!**

**.**

**V**

The weeks after his face-to-face with his gun were quite busy for Gibbs. He had been cleared for active duty and he had resumed his job as Drill Instructor, training a bunch of new recruits as he got back in shape too.

Lieutenant Macy didn't bother him anymore, he got positive notes from his superiors and one morning he was summoned by his CO at the base, who told him he was first in line for a promotion to Master Sergeant. It should have been good news, but he found himself not really caring about it.

Until a few months ago, Gibbs would have welcomed the new rank and the increase of pay that would come with it. The added money could have allowed him and Shannon to support another child, which they both had always wanted, but now…now it no longer mattered.

Working and training hard from sunrise to sunset made Gibbs keep his mind busy and focused on his tasks, but as soon as he let his thoughts roam, they turned to Shannon and Kelly, and the loneliness and desperation he managed to banish during the days, returned to plague him as soon as he returned to his empty house.

He slept badly and he couldn't even remember the last time he had woken up truly well rested.

_No, that wasn't true,_ he thought one evening, as he stepped into his base house. He remembered it. It had been after the night he had spent at Rick's hotel. That morning Gibbs had woken up feeling more rested and relaxed than he had been in months, and not just because the hotel bed was more comfortable than his own. It had been because of the pleasure he had taken in the body of that youth…Tony.

Gibbs' cock twitched as he thought of the young man. Before that night, the Marine had never guessed he was bisexual, and he had fully imagined he wouldn't be able to perform if put in a bed with another man. Instead…instead it had been incredible. Hot and so damn good. It had made him feel alive in a way he hadn't felt in far too long—and he wanted to do it again.

_No!_ He yelled to himself. He couldn't. He was a widower, his wife and daughter barely cold in their graves and he couldn't possibly want to betray Shannon's memory by going with a boy that fucked for cash.

But the house was so empty and silent, with no Kelly playing the piano and no Shannon singing tunelessly as she tidied the kitchen…There was no little girl to tuck in bed, and no young woman to spoon against during the night…

Suddenly Gibbs couldn't bear to stay in the house a moment more. He grabbed the keys of his car and was on the road toward Oceanside within a few minutes.

It was already dark by the time Gibbs reached Rick's hotel and he was again questioning the wisdom of his actions. Yet, he didn't hesitate in entering the hall and walking toward the counter.

At the sound of his footsteps, Rick, who had been drying some glasses, raised his eyes then grinned when he recognized his customer.

"Hey buddy!" he exclaimed, looking obviously pleased. "How have you been?"

"Busy," Gibbs answered curtly, ill at ease with the man's easy-going attitude.

Rick didn't seem bothered by his short response, but poured beer in two glasses and offered one to Gibbs. It was a hot, early July night and the cool beer was more than welcome.

Rick watched as Gibbs finished to drink then asked, "So, what brings you here, buddy?"

The Marine looked stonily at him, hoping the guy would understand without making him actually utter the words.

Rick was smart or maybe just used to reading the men who attended his hotel and Cassie's night club. Whatever the case, he heard what Gibbs hadn't been able to say and nodded. He picked the key of room 17 and threw it to the Marine.

"You know the way. I'll talk with Cassie and have her send Tony to you as soon as he's free. It might take a while since the club is open this evening."

Jealousy flared in Gibbs at the 'as soon as he's free' bit. Was Tony with someone else right now?

Rick saw the look in his eyes and rushed to explain, "Tony is dancing now. He does it every night up to ten. Then his other job starts…but I'll make sure you get precedence over any other interested party, okay?"

Gibbs nodded, still uncomfortable with the idea Tony shared his body with other people, but knowing it was the harsh reality. The youth fucked for money, and Gibbs wasn't any different from the other men and women that paid him to provide a service. It was a sordid business, but he was taking advantage of it, so he had no right at all to feel uncomfortable or be fussy about it. All he had to do was to pay and enjoy and he would do exactly that.

**-x-**

Somehow, Tony wasn't surprised to hear the Marine was back and had asked for him. Deep inside himself, he knew he would come back. And, even deeper inside himself, he had hoped he would.

In the two weeks since he had been called to service him at Rick's place, Tony had found himself thinking about the handsome man time and again. Worst of all, he had found himself comparing every other john he bedded with him. So, when Cassie told him the guy was back and was waiting for him as soon as his show on stage was over, Tony felt some kind of strange relief, as if an unsettling wait was finally over.

Once he was done at the club, he rushed up to his apartment to get changed and ready for the task. Remembering the Marine's size, he lubed himself even more thoroughly than usual, happy to discover he was still quite loose from the fucking one of his female clients had given him with a strap-on the previous night. She had wanted to practice on him before she tried it on her husband, a placid business man who had no idea of what his wife did when he was out of town due to his job. Tony just hoped the guy wouldn't have a heart attack when he saw his spouse approach him wearing that black monster of a strap-on.

When he was ready, Tony left the apartment, crossed the courtyard and went up the stairs to room 17.

Once there, he licked his lips then knocked and without waiting for an answer he opened the door.

The Marine was lying on his side on the bed, with only his briefs on and seemingly asleep. His skin was even more tanned than he remembered and his back looked strong and hard. Yet, lying there with his eyes closed and breathing evenly like a child, he looked impossibly vulnerable and sweet…Tony cursed under his breath. What was the problem with him? The guy was just a john, nothing else. He wanted to fuck and was ready to pay for it. End of the story. So, why did Tony find himself time and again thinking about the other man in that alarmingly personal way? Why did he find himself more interested in the mystery of that handsome, lonely man than was good for him?

"You're here…"

The low voice coming from the bed startled Tony. That voice. It was strange that he hadn't registered it the first time they had met. Or perhaps he had, it but purposely shut it off because it was as unique as his smile and his beautiful, blue eyes…

Tony straightened. "So you came back, Marine…"

The man on the bed eyed him for a moment then said, "Come here…" and when Tony padded towards him, he added, "Lay with me for a moment…"

That wasn't new to Tony. He had known men who simply wanted him to hug them while they slept. But they were usually old queers incapable of anything else or too drunk to even give it a try. But this guy was neither old nor incapable and was obviously not drunk. His stomach tightened as he kicked off his loafers and reclined near the Marine.

Gibbs took the youth in his arms and brought him closer. It wasn't a possessive gesture but mostly a tender one. He brought him closer and enjoyed a kind of warmth that had nothing to do with the summer heat.

Tony saw him close his eyes and smile as if he had been dreaming awake. Dreaming about another person, a woman probably…or a guy he had fancied but never found the courage to pursue. A fellow Marine, maybe?

That wasn't new for Tony either. Some men called him by other names or asked him to call them by the pet names old lovers had given them. One pervert had even wanted to be called 'daddy' as Tony pretended to be his young son.

They paid Tony to do all and say all those things, and he had done it without blinking an eye, but this time it was somehow different. The man beside him was dreaming of someone else and it bothered him- too much for his own good.

Gibbs sighed. The youth was everything he remembered him to be. Slender but masculine. Soft but strong. Warm and handsome. He was hard but he felt no urge to take the boy. Instead, he wanted to prolong the sweet quietness of the moment and perhaps even sleep for a while with him in his arms…

Tony bit his lip. He was at a loss and he didn't like it. He could feel the man's hard cock lightly pressed against his hip but he didn't seem to be in a hurry to move ahead. Tony didn't know if it was a good thing or not. The other time he had been passive and even tried to resist him, only to become avid and demanding all of sudden…Lost in his musings, he didn't notice that his hand was already caressing the Marine's broad chest. His skin had a pleasant, warm quality and was smooth like silk.

Gibbs felt the hand on his chest and sighed again, then moved his own hand down the youth's back and traced lazy circles on his ass. It was a very nice ass, firm, rounded, made to be squeezed, bitten…and fucked.

His erection started to throb and he freed himself from his briefs as at his side, the youth, Tony, took the hint and quickly divested himself from his own clothes. Then the kid reclined again, and Gibbs resumed his exploration of his ass.

Tony shuddered at the feeling of those long, calloused fingers as they touched and caressed his buttocks, and then slipped between them to probe at his puckered hole. The touch was slow, nearly languid and quite pleasurable, so much that his cock started taking interest, and hardened. Tony brightened, remembering how good the guy had felt inside him last time. If he managed to be hard and ready to go by the time the Marine started fucking him, well, maybe this time he would come too.

He had just finished that thought that the Marine executed another of his super-fast moves, and Tony found himself flat on his back with the guy sitting on his haunches between his spread legs.

The young whore licked his lips trying to understand why the man was looking at him with that hard, intent gaze. Had he done something wrong?

"What is it, Marine?" he asked after a moment of stillness.

"Gunny."

"W-What…?"

"Gunny. Call me Gunny," Gibbs explained. He preferred it to 'Marine', because Shannon had called him that now and then during intimacy, but she had never used 'Gunny'.

"Okay," Tony nodded. "What do you want me to do, Gunny?"

"I want to hear you say it when I make you come…" Gibbs ordered, watching pleased as the youth's eyes widened in surprise.

He chuckled and bent forward, lightly kissing his way down Tony's chest. The skin smelled clean, tasted good and was so smooth beneath his lips. He stopped to lick the youth's nipples, because he knew he liked to have his nipples played with, and thought Tony might like the same thing.

A hitch in the youth's breathing indicated what he was doing was appreciated and Gibbs smirked against his skin, before resuming his journey down Tony's body. When he reached the younger man's groin he stopped and eyed the almost completely hard cock in front of his face. He had no intention of using his mouth on it, so he took it in his hand and started pumping it slowly.

Tony gasped when those strong, calloused fingers closed around his shaft and started milking him. He threw his head against the pillow as he tried not to drown in the sensation caused by that skilled touch. Marines were used to being deployed for months on end in places where finding bed mates was more of a mission impossible, so Gunny had to have a lot of practice at jerking off, and he was applying it to Tony's cock, twisting and stroking it until the young man was completely hard and leaking and ready to come.

"Stop!" Tony cried out, batting the hand away and using his fingers to press against the base of his cock to stave off his orgasm.

Gibbs smiled satisfied at the sight and as soon as Tony regained a modicum of control he murmured, "Condom?"

The youth reached down with one arm, searching the floor until he found his pants. He pulled out a condom from the pocket and passed it to Gibbs. As he put the condom on his cock, the Marine saw Tony move and roll over to lie onto his belly with his legs spread and his ass slightly raised.

Gibbs scooted closer on his knees, spread Tony's ass cheeks with one hand, used the other to steady his cock, took aim—and pushed.

Tony cried out when he was impaled—but not in pain. Gunny's cock had rammed straight against his prostate, making fireworks explode behind his eyelids.

The older man lay down atop of him for a moment and breathed against his ear, "Remember what I want to hear..."

Then Gunny pulled back and began thrusting in earnest, each of his strokes managing to hit Tony just there, just right, and the last coherent thought flashing into his mind was, _Oh man, this is gonna be epic... _

Behind Tony, Gibbs wrapped his fingers around the youth's hips as he went on thrusting, with long, deep movements. The young man was strong, snug and so very hot. He could go on thrusting forever, it felt so good …

But of course his body had other ideas. Far too soon than he would have liked his pace speed up, as the need for completion became overwhelming. His thrusts became faster and harder. Beneath him Tony twisted and moaned almost continuously. And then the youth stilled and went impossibly tight around Gibbs' cock as a shout escaped his lips.

"Gunny!"

Closing his eyes in satisfaction, Gibbs groaned. Then, unable to stop, he fell forward, bit Tony's shoulder and went over the edge, his body rocking in time with the rhythmic spurts of his seed. It seemed to go on forever, as Tony's moaned and milked him with his inner muscles.

Then it was over and Gibbs collapsed on his side, pulling Tony's trembling body with him. The youth followed his lead, rolling on his side, and they spooned together, still joined, until Gibbs softened and slipped out.

It was only then that Tony shifted his position, coming to face Gibbs and flashed him one of his megawatt smiles.

"That was great, Gunny," he said happily. "You wanna do it again soon, right?"

.

Liked it? I hope so! This time there was some more feeling and Gibbs was more of himself. And we discovered why I chose "Gunny's Whore2 as title. Let me know what you think and remember reviews make me update faster!


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks so much to: Tinkerbellblu83, Dolphinsiren 77 , Twilightseeker3 and Angel for the reviews!**

**VI**

The _Sensual Delights _was crowded that night, much to Cassie Mills' satisfaction. There were patrons of both sexes moving around the club, talking, laughing or dancing. Others instead were gathered around the five small stages set here and there, watching and cheering as Cassie's girls and boys danced at the sound of the soft music in the background, a slow and smooth beat that dripped sensuality in the air. Finally, there are those patrons not interested in mingling with the others, who just sat at the tables in the back of the club, nursing a drink as they watched what went on the main stage.

Cassie's eyes roamed the hall and narrowed when they found what – who- she had been looking for.

He was there this evening too – it had to be the fourth or fifth in ten days- sitting at one of the back tables with a glass of bourbon in his hands.

As Cassie observed him, the man, Gunny as Tony called him, just stayed there, unmoving, showing no hint of interest for Kayla and her pole dance up on the stage.

But then Kayla finished her dance and left the stage, and the man became suddenly more alert, as the beat of the music changed in a sexy, steady rhythm. Cassie watched as Gunny stopped to stare at his glass as if it held the answers to all the mysteries of the universe, and his eyes focused on the stage, where Tony had just made his appearance.

The young man wore only a pair of faded blue jeans, ripped and showing bits of bare skin in several, strategic places. His chest gleamed under the lights and Cassie wondered if Tony was just sweating because of his performances on the smaller stages or if he had yet again put on that coconut lotion she couldn't stand, but whose taste Gunny seemed to appreciate far too much for Tony's good.

Cassie was worried; there was no point in denying it. She had sensed the dark brown haired Marine was going to be a problem from the first moment she had seen him, and she had been right. The guy wasn't a pervert as she feared at first, but he was very dangerous all the same.

It didn't take a genius to see how infatuated Tony was with the man…One had just to look at the boy now, as he danced on the stage. He couldn't take his eyes away from 'his' Gunny, it was like he was dancing just for him, completely ignoring the other patrons, both males and females, that were watching him—which was a big no-no in his and Cassie's job.

The club owner sighed. She needed to talk to Tony. She had hoped she wouldn't be obliged to do it, but things were now taking a very dangerous turn. She liked that boy, a lot. He was smart, funny and had a big heart—a heart Cassie didn't want to see broken by a brooding guy just looking for a warm body to fuck and who would forget Tony faster than he could shout 'Ooh-rah' as soon as he found another, more appropriate, outlet for his lust.

**-x-**

Tony used a towel to dry some of the sweat that was running along his temple. One more dance and he was done for the night…well, not really. But his next dance wouldn't be on stage but in bed, and it would be for Gunny's eyes only.

Tony knew his favorite client was here at the club this evening too. He had spotted him sitting at his usual table while he was dancing on one of the smaller stages, and the sight of Gunny's strong back, the back he loved to rake with his fingernails as the older man explored his chest with his mouth, had made him harden, much to the delight of the patrons who were watching the show. A roar had risen from around the stage and Cassie, who had been walking by had winked at him in approval.

Tony was happy to have returned in her good graces after the reprimand he had received the previous week. He really hadn't noticed he tended to focus on Gunny only when he danced on the main stage, and had promised Cassie to be more careful from then on.

But that didn't mean he couldn't indulge himself and Gunny a bit. He knew which, among his various attires, was the older man's favorite and he wore it.

Ten minutes later Tony stepped on stage, wearing his 'biker look': tight leather black pants, matching boots, a red bandana round his neck and fingerless black gloves.

While he danced – more an instinctive sequence of swings and thrusts of his hips than a real dance with steps and moves– he felt Gunny's eyes roam his bare chest and smirked. Oh god, it felt so damn good to know he was at the centre of Gunny's attention, and he had to force himself to refrain from locking his gaze with the older man's and instead look, smile and smirk at all the other patrons.

Once he was done, Tony went to his apartment, showered, prepped, dressed again and rushed down to Rick's hotel.

He walked toward the stairs, but his path was blocked by a tall, bulging, bearded guy he had spotted earlier that evening at the club.

"Hello, sweetheart," the man said, using his paw-like hand to squeeze Tony's ass. "How much?"

"You can't afford me," Tony retorted, repulsed by the stench of sweat and rotten teeth coming from the guy.

"Then I'll take you without paying," the guy growled as Tony looked right and left, alarmed. Where the hell were Rick and his Winchester rifle when he needed them?

He was about to call for help, but his cry turned into a relieved sight when Gunny appeared atop of the stair.

It took just a look for the Marine to assess the situation, and just ten seconds to run down the stairs, grab the thug, pull him away from Tony, twist his arm behind his back and reduce him to a whimpering mass of bulging but useless muscles.

"What's going on?" asked Rick, as he finally limped into the room with his rifle.

"Nothing. This guy here had trouble understanding that there are things he cannot have, and Gunny had to teach him a lesson," Tony explained, as the Marine let go of the other man. The bearded guy seemed to want to attack Gunny, but the sound of Rick arming his rifle made him change his mind. He quickly left the hall and a few seconds later they heard a bike speed away.

"Thank you," Tony whispered, taking one step toward Gunny.

The older man just nodded and looked at him, his intent eyes taking in his attire. "I like that shirt," he commented, pointing at the light blue polo Tony had bought because it reminded him of Gunny's eyes.

"Thank you," Tony repeated, and then tilted his head toward the stairs. "Do you wanna go upstairs now?"

Gunny shook his head, "Not yet. Let's go out for a walk first."

Tony brightened at the idea to be with Gunny outside of the small confines of the hotel and the club. Maybe they could go on the beach and walk hand in hand on the shore...He gritted his teeth as he mentally kicked himself. What was he thinking? He was a whore, Gunny was just a guy paying him to fuck, and whores don't walk hand in hand with their johns in the moonlight. Cassie was right, he needed to take a grip over himself, or this would end badly for him.

"Okay," Tony finally replied. "Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere but on the beach."

"I know a place you might like," Tony answered, not knowing if he was relieved or disappointed Gunny didn't want to go on the beach.

By the way he had spotted the man stare at the beach from the bedroom window, Tony had thought the Marine loved the sea, so it was surprising he didn't want to go there. Unless, of course, the beach had some meaning for him or maybe held some memory...Whatever the case, he didn't want to go there and that was the only thing Tony should care for.

"Come," he said tilting his head toward the exit, "This way."

**-x-**

Gibbs walked leisurely along the street, letting Tony pull him by one hand toward the mysterious place he might like.

In truth Gibbs didn't mind their destination, he was more interested in letting the cool evening breeze clear his mind and get back some of his common sense.

He couldn't go on like this, spending all of his free evenings at the club, sipping bourbon as he watched Tony dance before they retired to 'their' room to have sex.

He was well aware this obsession for the youth wasn't healthy, nor dictated by an overwhelming passion for Tony. He was fond of the younger man, who was smart, funny and very talented—but nothing more. In a way Tony was like the alcohol Gibbs had numbed himself with before returning to Camp Pendleton and life on base. The sex was just another way to forget and have a nice night of sleep, far healthier for his body than alcohol, but an addiction all the same—and an expensive one too, since the boy wasn't cheap.

Gibbs knew he should stop. Sooner or later someone was bound to discover what he was doing, and that would cause problems with his men or his superiors.

That very morning, when he had been summoned to his CO's office, he had feared the worst. He had relaxed only when he had been informed he would leave the next evening for Colombia, to participate to a CIA's black op against drug dealers.

That op and the time he would spend in Colombia, Gibbs had reasoned, would be the perfect occasion to wean himself from his addiction to Tony. And yet, the first thing in his mind after he had left the office had been the desire, no need, to let the boy know he would go away for a while, so he wouldn't be worried by his absence...

_Why do ya think he'll be worried, Marine?_ A voice echoed in his mind. _True, the kid likes you, but just 'cause you're not too bad looking and take the time to make him come when you fuck him. He'll be probably disappointed when you leave, but nothing more._

"Here we are," Tony said, recalling Gibbs to the present. The Marine looked around and saw they were in a small park, with trees and rose bushes scattered here and there. "You like it?" the youth asked after a moment of silence.

"Yep," Gibbs answered, sincere. The salty smell coming from the sea mingled with the scent of the roses, creating a pleasant, relaxing fragrance even a hardened Marine like him could appreciate. "Come," he said pulling at the hand that was still holding his. "Let's sit down."

He didn't walk toward one of the benches, but toward a tree atop of a little mound of grass. Once there, Gibbs sat down with his back against the tree. Tony knelt between the Marine's bent legs and after a moment of hesitation, he curled against his chest.

Gibbs put an arm around the youth's back and let his gaze wander down Tony's face, taking in his features. He was really a handsome kid, polite and smart atop of it, and the Marine couldn't understand why he wanted to be a whore. He would understand if the boy had told him he had been somehow forced to prostitute himself, but from bit and pieces of conversation, he knew it had been Tony's choice to start in that business. No one had coaxed him. Why did he do it? For the money? Because it was an 'easy', well paid job compared to others? Or because it allowed him to be very close and personal with other people? Gibbs wondered as he looked down at the youth curled against his chest. Was it possible Tony mistook lust for affection?

_God,_ Gibbs thought, irritated with himself. _I'm turning into a damned shrink. His reasons are a just his own_.

"Have you been a Marine for long?" Tony asked, breaking the silence, and Gibbs welcomed the question.

"Almost sixteen years."

"And have you been in a combat situation?"

"Yes. In Panama, Bosnia and Kuwait. Might be in another one in a couple of days."

Tony's head whipped up as he looked at Gibbs. "You're leaving?" he asked, and the Marine heard the note of anxiety in his voice.

"Yes, tomorrow evening."

"Where to?"

"I can't tell you, it's classified."

"Oh." Tony fell silent for a moment before he asked, "You'll be back here when you're done?"

"Yes."

"Okay..." the young man bit his lower lip, as if he was uncertain about what to say next, then went on. "Be careful, uh? And come to see me when you return...so I'll know you're still alive."

Gibbs nodded, "I will."

"Good." Tony settled back against his chest, and Gibbs tightened his hold around the youth's back.

It was getting late and soon they would have to return to the hotel if they wanted to have sex before Gibbs had to drive back, but for the moment the Marine felt no desire to move.

The park was silent and he enjoyed sitting there, on the grass, with Tony pressed warm and solid against his chest.

He felt at peace, with the world and himself, and he didn't wish to relinquish that feeling any time soon.

Gibbs closed his eyes and without even realizing it, he fell asleep.

.

A fluffy (well, sort of) chapter after the passionate ones. I hope you liked it! Let me know what you think and remember reviews make me update faster!


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to Tinkerbellblu83 for the review! **

**.**

**VII**

Tony tried to scurry, unnoticed, toward his apartment but Cassie's voice stopped him.

"Come here, Tony. I need to talk with you."

His boss was standing at the door of her office, where she managed the club and her thoughts and Tony had been in them more frequently than usual.

The young man had clearly not been the same since 'his' Gunny had left two weeks before for some kind of secret mission.

Cassie eyed him carefully as he slowly turned back. Tony seemed to have lost his purpose and looked distracted and pale. Wordlessly, she indicated that he should enter her office and without waiting for him she sat back at her desk.

Tony cursed inwardly. He should have been more careful, and take the emergency stairs to reach his flat. He followed Cassie into her office, closed the door, shutting the noise of the club outside, and lowered his head as he took his place in front of the woman who had given him a job and house when he had needed them so badly.

Cassie observed him with worried eyes. That subdued, nervous attitude didn't suit the spirited, always cheerful young man she knew. She needed to talk to him before it became permanent or he threw everything away for something that was not, could not be real.

"Well, Tony?" she asked, her tone serious but not angry.

Tony bit his lip, "I'm not feeling okay..."

"This is the third time in a week. The guy you just refused to attend is one of your regulars..."

"I'm not okay," Tony stubbornly repeated, head still lowered.

Cassie gave up all pretension. "Look at me," she said and when the youth failed to obey she raised her tone, "I told you to look at me!"

Tony flinched, and then did as he was told.

Cassie looked at him carefully and saw him blush under her scrutiny. "We have a big problem, Tony."

"What problem?"

"You've fallen for that Gunny of yours, and that's a really big problem."

Tony grinned, showing all of his teeth. "Don't be so dramatic. He's just a hot guy who can use his cock well, something that cannot be said of most of my male regulars. He fucks like a champ."

"So is it just sex? You're not even remotely entertaining the idea...the hope...it could be something more?" Cassie asked with narrowed eyes. "You know, something that could lead to a fairy tale ending like in those movies you like so much. What are the titles? Uh, yeah: 'Pretty Woman', and that other one... 'My Fair Lady'."

She saw how Tony's eyes flashed and knew her concerns were right, no matter what his answer would be.

"Eliza Doolittle wasn't a whore!" the youth exclaimed, outraged.

Cassie's eyes narrowed even more, "You catch my drift, kiddo. You know what I mean."

"Cas, it's not what you think!" Tony protested, shaking his head.

"No? Then you can explain me why you got that tattoo...yeah, the one on your left hip," she said explicitly, as she saw Tony's hand move to pose over the spot where she knew the tattoo was. "Did you think I wouldn't notice it?"

"It's just a joke...something to make him laugh when he's back from his mission. I-I'll get it removed if you want..."

Cassie sighed, brushing away his offer, and asked, "What was the first lesson I taught you when you decided to be a whore?"

"That clients, both male and females, should never notice if I feared them..."

"And?"

Tony bit is lower lip, "That clients could use my body if they paid the right sum but they should never have my heart."

"That is!" Cassie exclaimed, slamming her hand down on the desk. "Tony, you're a whore. A high class one, not a street hooker, but still a whore. Your survival in this business depends on being the one in charge and you can't be in charge if you're in love!"

"I'm not-"

Cassie stopped him with a gesture, and then tiredly rubbed her eyes. For some reasons she couldn't understand, she felt responsible for that kid, perhaps because behind all that bravado and cocky attitude there was a gentle and tender soul. He was too good for her club and Rick's hotel.

Tony should have been established by himself as soon as he made enough money to afford a high class wardrobe and a nice flat. The world was a difficult place but someone as young, handsome, educated and reasonable should have made a fortune as a high-end paid escort instead of working in a club. And now it was already too late. That damned Marine had wormed his way to his heart and ruined everything.

Or maybe not...Maybe there was still hope and Cassie had some cards to play.

"Well, it's good to know you're not in love with him, 'cause if you were hoping to settle down with him, you would be sorely disappointed," she said, watching Tony closely for his reaction.

"Is he married?" the young man asked far too quickly for someone who had just claimed not to be interested in 'something more'. "You know something I don't?"

"I know a lot you don't, including his real name, which he never told you but I got from his credit card payments—and no, I'm not going to reveal it to you. As for your other question, no, he isn't married. He's a widower—and a recent one too. He lost his wife and daughter at the end of February and, according to my sources, he has taken their deaths very, very hard. It was a truly happy marriage and your Gunny has been considered for a while potentially suicidal by the base doctors after his family's death. It was a long time before he was again considered fit for duty."

Tony reached out blindly for a chair and sat down heavily on it as Cassie went on with what she had discovered about Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs. "My sources talked to people who had known him for years, and everyone agreed on something: he has never, ever showed interest for another man. In fact, when my source tried to suggest the idea of Gunny going with a man, he was either told 'there was no way they would believe it even if they saw it' or 'Gunny might do it only if he wasn't in right mind...like now'. So you see, Tony, not only there is the not-so-little detail Marines don't like gays or bisex people, but also this thing. Right now this man isn't really himself, emotionally speaking. The moment he is, he'll look for another woman to marry. Trust me on this."

Tony swallowed hard. He didn't want to believe to what Cassie had said and wanted so badly to retort her sources, whoever they were, they wrong about Gunny. He wanted to scream to her he was more than a past time for Gunny, and that he could make the Marine love him as much as he loved the older man—but he didn't. Because, deep inside, he knew she was right.

He knew Gunny had never been with a guy before him and more than once he had got the impression the older man had treated him how he would treat a woman. It was in the way the Marine touched him, in the way he ran his finger in Tony's hair as if he was expecting to find it longer, in the way he palmed his chest as if he was looking for breasts, in the way he took the younger man always from behind, never wanting to look in his face while they fucked.

Tony had noticed all of it, but had refused to acknowledge its meaning—until this moment. And now he didn't know if he should be grateful or angered with Cassie because she opened his eyes.

"What should I do now?" he asked, not bothering to his pain from his voice. "To get rid of him? To forget him?"

"I think it would be best if you left. If you stay, he'll come looking for you again, and even if I told him you're no longer available and ban him from the club, I know you...you'd find a way to see him again. I can see you even travelling to Camp Pendleton in the hope to see him."

Tony nodded; Cassie really knew him well.

"So I've got this idea: I've a very good friend who works in DC. She's a high class Madam, catering to the needs and vices of the rich and powerful. She can easily find work for you...You got looks, talents and brains, Tony. You're wasted here, but you could be a smash in DC. Make enough money to retire for good before you turn thirty or stay in the job as a male Madam – forgive me the term, but I prefer it to pimp or ruffian – or have just a few, very selected clients. I can see you do it. You can already read people well, and your skills will only improve with experience. So...what do you think of it? Do you want me to call my friend?"

Tony was silent for several, long moments. He didn't like the idea of leaving Cassie, Rick and the friends he had made in town, but he was aware that there were no chances he would get over his...feelings...for Gunny if he stayed in Oceanside. DC was a place he had always wanted to see, and it was close to New York, where his father was. The father that hadn't even bothered to ask why his son had decided to stay in California the previous year, but had just grunted in acknowledgement. Tony wondered how Senior's face would look if he ever discovered he was a whore, and not a common one, but a high class one. He could become a gigolo for rich, famous and powerful women like Richard Gere...and also be a more discreet companion for equally rich, famous and powerful men. Also, there were several universities in DC where he could complete his education, as he had once promised to himself. He could really have a good life in DC; all he needed to do was to move there—and let go of Gunny.

But really, what did he have to let go of? Gunny had never been his, and all his hopes for a future together had just been foolish, childish dreams, destined to vanish in front of the harsh reality.

So Tony squared his shoulders and nodded. "Make that call, Cassie—and thank you so much for your help and this opportunity."

Cassie nodded, "You're welcome, kiddo. Now go, it's getting late and I need to start closing down the place." She watched as Tony stood up and walked away from the office, closing the door behind him.

When she was alone, Cassie poured some scotch in a glass and gulped it, closing her eyes and letting it warm her.

Oh, yes. A whore's survival depended on being be one in charge and love ruined everything.

But it happened. God knew it happened.

Cassie Mills buried her face in her hands and silently wept.

.

**And so it ends Part One.**

Did Tony make the right choice?

Was Cassie right?

Can you guess how the guys will meet again many years later?

Let me know what you think and remember what I always say about reviews...;P


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks to Sam, Tinkerbellblu83, Lucky, SpecialAgentJethro and KB22 for their reviews!**

**Part Two**

_This story assumes that you have seen __"Jet Lag" and "Guilty Pleasures" . __These episodes happened in this AU exactly as they were depicted on screen, but for the plot changes I produced with the premise of this story._

**I**

**Washington DC, early**** January 2010**

NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs hadn't be very happy when Director Vance had informed him two members of his team would have to fly to Paris, to escort a witness to a major fraud scam against the US Navy back to DC.

Gibbs couldn't understand why, of all the agents working in the HQ, Vance had to choose Ziva and Burley. Couldn't he have given the task to escort Nora Williams home to someone that wasn't member of the MCRT? What would happen if they were called out for a case? McGee was a wizard with computers, but his detective work and interrogation technique wasn't yet at par with Burley's or Ziva's.

As all LEOs, Gibbs knew the first 24 hours after a crime were crucial for the positive resolution of an investigation and he didn't like to be short handed, even for just a day and half.

Alas, Vance hadn't listened to his protests, and thus Gibbs had had to swallow his irritation and watch Stan and Ziva leave, all the while hoping no one decided to get killed in the next thirty six hours.

No such luck.

After a day passed reviewing cold cases, Gibbs and McGee were called to investigate the death of a Marine in downtown.

The guy, Marine Sergeant Mark Parsons, had been found dead in a bathtub full of kitty litter sand by his cleaning lady, with no apparent signs of trauma but a few feline scratches, which most certainly hadn't been the cause of death.

As for the time of his demise, it turned out to be between 36 and 48 hours before, which meant the killer had got a good head start on them.

That news turned to be far more worrying when, after opening Parsons' safe, they found a burn phone, a gun and two folders. One was full of newspaper clippings pertaining to an unsolved murder case in New York that looked like a professional hit. The other instead was a dossier about Nora Williams, the whistle-blower Stan and Ziva were escorting from Paris.

It didn't take long for Gibbs to realize that Parsons had been moonlighting as a hit man and that Miss Williams had been his next target.

So now, they didn't just have to discover who had killed Parsons but, even more importantly, who had hired him to murder their witness—and they had to do it quickly, possibly before the plane from Paris landed at Dulles.

**-x-**

A couple of hours later they found a promising lead that could help them to discover who had hired Parsons.

The Marine had been killed by another pro that had left no evidence behind, but when Abby ran the burn phone found in Parsons' safe, she discovered it had received only one call from one number.

"I traced it to a residence in Bethesda," Abby told him, and Gibbs could see she was beaming.

"Give me a name, Abby," he said, not in the mood for games.

"That's what I couldn't wait to tell you, Gibbs. The number belongs to Anthony DiNozzo. _The_ Anthony DiNozzo," she stressed to make sure he understood whom she was talking about.

Gibbs understood, of course. As almost everyone in town, he had heard about Anthony DiNozzo, who was the male equivalent of a 'madam', but he couldn't see why Abby was so excited.

He had nothing against prostitutes and he still remembered fondly the young man who had comforted him during those terrible weeks after Shannon and Kelly's deaths. However, he despised the people that exploited prostitutes or took advantage of them.

"Tell McGee to summon DiNozzo. I want him in the interrogation room within one hour," he told Abby, before he stormed out of the room to go and update Vance about the investigation.

**-x-**

Fifty-eight minutes later, Gibbs stepped inside interrogation room one after McGee and got one of the greatest surprises of his life.

When he turned to address Anthony DiNozzo, he found himself staring at a face he had never thought he would see again.

Tony.

He had changed, of course. His face had lost the child-fat it still had as a teenager, and was now more angular, the cheekbones more refined. There were also expression lines around his mouth and eyes, but there wasn't any doubt it was the same man.

This was Tony, the male whore Gibbs had been with during the summer of '91. The young man that with his gentle touch and skilled ways had given the former Marine peace and reprieve from the nightmares and the regrets that plagued him.

Gibbs also remembered what a hard blow had been to return from his last mission as Marine in Colombia, wounded and in sore need of a caring touch, only to discover Tony had left California.

Cassie, the owner of the club where Tony had worked, had offered to send him another boy, but Gibbs had refused disgusted by the idea, and walked away from Rick's hotel— never to return.

Tony had been the first and last whore Gibbs had been with, not to mention the one and only man the former Marine had ever been intimate with. Not because he had ever been concerned about being caught with another guy or for the lack of offers, but simply because Tony had been the only man Gibbs had ever felt attracted to.

And now, after almost nineteen years since the last time they had seen each other, they were again in the same room, but it wasn't bedroom or a club hall. It was a federal agency's interrogation room, and Gibbs had a job to do.

He returned to the present, sensing Tony's – no, DiNozzo's – eyes on him, even if the man was now talking to McGee, who was looking at their sitting suspect with a mix of fascination, curiosity and repulsion.

"So you've heard of me, Agent McGoo?" Tony asked, with a voice which was more carefully modulated than it had been in the past.

"It's McGee, and uh, yes, yes, I have. By reputation and a few headlines. You are a DC 'Madam' to the rich and powerful."

"Talented, too," interjected Gibbs. "At avoiding arrest."

"You flatter me," DiNozzo answered with a smile, his knowing eyes scanning Gibbs' form.

The NCIS agent knew he had been recognized and wondered what the other man planned to do with that knowledge.

Would he try to use it against him? Gibbs hoped not. He wasn't worried their previous acquaintance could cause him problems, since it had been so long ago, before he even started working for NCIS. However such a behavior would ruin for good the fond memories he had of Tony, and Gibbs didn't want that to happen.

"When did the love business turn into the death business?" he asked as he sat down at the table, looking at his suspect with a slight grin.

"Excuse me?" DiNozzo said, seeming really surprised.

"Four days ago, you made a call to Sergeant Mark Parsons," McGee explained, indicating DiNozzo's number on a print out. "It was right before he was murdered."

"A hit. Killed by a pro," added Gibbs, observing closely the elegantly dressed man in front of him. He was ready to bet that dark blue suit cost more than his monthly paycheck, nothing like the simple shirts and pants Tony had donned during that long past summer.

"I had nothing to do with his death," DiNozzo answered.

"Yeah, we know that," Gibbs replied quickly, "but you did hire him to kill Nora Williams."

"Got a search warrant for your office," McGee interjected, producing another print out. "We found an online pay account linking you to several known or suspected hit men. This time, you were paying for their services."

"To kill," Gibbs stressed. "Once a contractor-"

"Listen," DiNozzo interrupted him in a calm, almost suave voice. "I'm a matchmaker. I connect people online. I never know what service is being provided. I never ask."

"You really think a jury's gonna believe that? All this money for sex?" Gibbs asked, as a part of him mourned the death of the open, honest, cheerful boy he had once known. He had always been aware Tony had chosen to be a whore, preferring for some reasons to sell his body for cash rather than work to support himself. It wasn't a choice Gibbs would normally approve of, but there was a big difference between being a whore and acting as a mediator between a hit man and an instigator.

"It's not my money," DiNozzo retorted with a shrug. "I'm not responsible for-"

"You're an accessory to murder," stated Gibbs. "You're providing a service. You're more than responsible. Who wanted Nora Williams dead?"

That seemed to shake DiNozzo's suave composure, and he said, "Look, I don't know names, but I can give you the account that they used to wire me the money. Half a million dollars."

Gibbs smirked and nodded in approval. He took out his ever present notepad from his inner pocket and threw it on the table. "The numbers," he ordered.

DiNozzo leant forward, getting closer to him and murmured, "I don't give it away, Gu… Agent Gibbs. My services cost." A smirk, "I'll take a plea deal."

"I didn't offer one," Gibbs retorted, not liking that intentional almost-slip on his name in the least.

"Well, I suggest you do, and you might want to be quick about it."

"Why is that?" Gibbs asked, he too leaning forward, so much so he could now smell the other man's expensive cologne.

"You said Parsons was killed by another pro," DiNozzo explained, his tone still very soft…and almost sultry. "I can think of 500,000 reasons why that might be. These contracts aren't exclusive. Render the service, reap the reward. And, um, people can be, uh...competitive."

"A hit man killed a hit man," commented McGee.

"So, whoever gets the kill gets the cash," concluded Gibbs, not liking the sound of it, or DiNozzo's satisfied expression.

After a final exchange of glares, the NCIS Lead Agent stormed out of the room, barking to McGee to put him in contact with Ziva and Burley, since there were concrete chances there might be a killer on their plane.

When he finished alerting his people, Gibbs ordered McGee to check the flight passenger list to see if he could find something that might indicate them who was the hit man, and then he went upstairs to talk with Vance about the plea deal for DiNozzo.

As he climbed the stairs, Gibbs thought back to the interrogation. Even if he had been aware of what McGee had found in DiNozzo's office before he had started the interview, he had been, well, shocked to discover the man he had known as Tony had no qualms at contacting a hit man and at a arranging a contract dealing with someone getting killed.

He had been taken aback by the polished coldness with which DiNozzo had tried to push away the whole matter. The youth Gibbs remembered had been warm, caring, and genuine. This guy, instead, was cold, calculating, and his sultry manners repellent.

Were Gibbs' memories of Tony wrong? Was it possible he had somehow idealized them along the years?

After all, he hadn't been completely in his right mind during those weeks back in 1991 and it was entirely possible he had seen more than there had been in the youth's behavior.

In all probability, he had been treated as Tony had treated all of his clients.

However, as starved for intimacy as he had been, Gibbs had failed to see or realize that he had been just another john for the young whore, good only for the money he could pay, and that what he had thought to be genuine liking, had instead been only a tool of Tony's trade.

.

Ha-ha! Liked it? This story was born from the "What if I put Tony in Holly Snow's role? " idea. Then, of course, it took a life of its own and I wrote all the back story set in 1991, but this was the core idea.

Has Tony changed so much? Are Gibbs' memories too idealized? Let me know what you think and remember reviews make me update faster!


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks to: Blarney, SpecialAgentJethro, Tinkerbellblu83, Addictedtocsi777 for the reviews!**

**.**

**-x-**

Once alone in the interrogation room, Anthony DiNozzo, Tony for just a handful of people, took out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and used it to dry the sweat on his brow and took a deep breath to calm himself.

He wasn't worried about ending in jail: he knew far too much about several senators and judges' tastes for these people to ever allow he might spill its guts in a courtroom. And he had been close and personal with the US Attorney too, so he had no doubts the plea deal was already a done deal.

No, Tony wasn't worried. His heart was beating as fast as he just ran a marathon because of what had transpired in that room.

Of all the things he had ever imagined to happen when NCIS had summoned him, finding himself interrogated by Gunny inside a federal agency building was something that had never crossed his mind.

Tony hadn't been overly impressed by the young agent who had escorted him to the interrogation room. Young, baby-faced, uptight, certainly vanilla and trying hard – and failing – to hide his reproach. He had toyed with the idea to tease and scandalize the agent to see if he could make him lose his school boy countenance, but in the end he hadn't managed to go beyond a joke about his surname.

And how could have he toyed with the guy when his whole attention had been focused on his boss?

Tony's interest for the older agent had sparkled even before the man had turned toward him and he had seen his face. As Agent Gibbs had entered the room, Tony had noticed his straight-backed stance, elastic stride and the aura of authority surrounding him like a cloak. It had been an instant turn on for him, for he had a thing for commanding men. Then the agent and turned to look at him and the Italian had to force himself not gasp aloud a strangled, "Gunny".

His hair was no longer dark brown but silver grey, and his face was far more lined, but the eyes, those eyes Tony would have recognized anywhere, were still the same. Intelligent, keen, intent—and as full of shock as his own. Then there was his voice, his low, soft yet demanding voice…the voice he still heard in his head when he jacked off for his own pleasure. And finally there had been the hands that had caressed him with such care, the only client that had never treated Tony like a whore; who had never expected to be just serviced, but had always made sure they both got pleasure from their encounters.

Gunny.

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs—a weird name, but one that somehow suited him.

The only person, male or female, Tony had ever fallen in love with.

His heart sang upon seeing him again, there, in the flesh, so close he just needed to reach out with a hand to touch him.

However Tony had known he couldn't let the other man see how affected he was by their meeting. None of them was there for pleasure; they were there for business and he had to act consequently. So he had been more calculating, cold, apparently without scruples than he really was all to prevent Special Agent Gibbs from seeing the havoc his presence had caused, and to avoid the advantage Gunny could have taken from it.

The past was the past and it had to be relegated again into that corner of his mind, along with the pain Tony had felt when he had realized how quickly Gunny had forgotten him, so many years before.

Eight months after settling in DC and victim of a terrible bout of nostalgia and longing, Tony had decided to return to Oceanside. He missed Gunny and he didn't care if there wouldn't be more than some furtive encounters between them. He could pretend they were real lovers, maybe even partners unable to live together because of Gunny's military career. After all he was a whore— he was good at pretending.

However, for once his common sense had won over his impulsivity, and he had called Cassie before leaving for California. He had told her he just wanted to check on how she was doing, but she had read between the lines and bluntly told him Gunny had remarried the previous month—just like she had predicted he would do as soon as he stopped mourning his late family.

A few days later, Tony had received an envelope with a set of photos inside. They all showed Gunny with a petite, red haired, lovely woman at his side. They were walking hand in hand on a beach, talking, smiling, kissing, both of them looking very happy, Gunny's eyes as bright and clear as Tony had never seen them.

So the young man had understood there was no hope for his love. Gunny loved his wife; he wouldn't return to the club and Rick's hotel. Thus Tony had burned all the photos but one, which he had cropped, removing the red haired woman, and put it away in his desk drawer with 'Gunny' scribbled on the back.

Tony had thought that in due time he would have meet someone else to love, because in spite of his chosen line of work he was a romantic and wanted to be loved. But as the years passed and no one came to capture his heart, he began to think Gunny had been just an aberration, a stupid juvenile crush, and that Cassie had been right, stories a la 'Pretty Woman' happened only in the movies.

He had thrown all of himself in the job, climbed the ladder and now he was atop of his game. He had money, power, a lot of people asking for his services as a male 'Madam' (as Cassie, he hated to be called ruffian), and a few, selected clients, both males and females, he personally serviced. People paid well for his discretion, and he was willing to close one or both eyes, as long as the price was right and it didn't involve children, because that was something Tony would never tolerate or condone. As for the rest, everything was a fair game, and his motto was the same of the military, 'Don't ask, don't tell'—although he always guessed more than his clients thought.

**-x-**

Sometime later– Tony couldn't say exactly how much because he had completely spaced out – the door of the interrogation room opened to admit a well dressed black guy holding a folder and Special Agent Gibbs.

"The account clients use to send you the money- let's have it," the black guy said.

Tony arched his eyebrow and shook his head, as if he was surprised by the man's bluntness and teased, "What, no foreplay? No seduction? My deal came through, then." He restrained himself from smirking with satisfaction; it had been quick, just as he had asked and predicted it would be.

"Just needs a judge's signature," the black guy replied.

"Well, why don't you come back when you have it?" Tony retorted, his eyes following Agent Gibbs as he walked around the other man took the folder from his hand and threw it on the table.

"Deal's done," he said in that low voice that made Tony's belly muscles tighten, putting both hands on the table and leaning forward. "United States Attorney approved."

"You like it rough, don't you?" Tony replied, unable to resist teasing the man and trying desperately to mask his reactions as he got a sniff of Gunny's never forgotten scent, a mix of soap, clean skin, coffee and Old Spice aftershave.

"Well, there's a time and a place for everything, Anthony," Gibbs answered aloud, but his eyes were saying, "_No, I don't—and you know it_."

"I thought so," Tony commented idly, leaning forward and staring deeply in those icy blue eyes as he continued with his teasing, "I'm usually pretty good at reading people. What they respond to. Role-play?"

"No," Gibbs answered, with a slight smile.

"Hmm, too bad." Tony leant back against the chair, but never stopped to roam Gibbs' features. God, the man had become even more handsome in middle age, his slightly longer silver hair complemented his complexion and the color of his eyes; all gave him a distinguished look. As for his body, from what Tony could see, he still looked pretty good beneath that polo shirt and casual jacket.

"Want to help out the next victim?" Gibbs' voice brought Tony back to present and he looked at the photo of a comely young woman the NCIS Agent was showing him. "'Cause if she dies...this deal goes away. And we add another charge: murder." The two men stared at each other for a few yet interminable seconds, before Gibbs added, "I can read people, too. Account number."

Their fingers brushed when Tony reached out to pick the pen Gibbs was handing him, and a shiver ran along his body. _Control!_ He yelled at himself as he and the older man exchanged another long glance. There was no trace of the Gunny he had known in the stony face looking back at him, just a hard federal agent tired of his games and teasing, interested only in that number.

Inwardly sighing, Tony pulled the notepad Gibbs had thrown earlier on the table closer to him and wrote down the account number.

When he was done, he pushed the pad and the pen toward the NCIS Agent, who took them with a nod. Gibbs straightened, and after a final glance at Tony, walked out of the room, leaving him alone with the black guy, who gestured to him to stand up.

"Mr. DiNozzo, I'm Director Vance. Please follow me to my office, where I'll tell you the terms of your plea deal…"

.

A/N: According to "Hiatus" flashback, Gibbs started working for NIS while Franks was still stationed in Camp Pendleton. Also, Franks said in "Deliverance" that Gibbs was already married again in 1992 (no doubt to fill the void in his life). So I postulated he remarried while still in California and that's why Cassie was aware of it.

And so- as most of you had correctly guessed- Tony isn't as cold as Gibbs thought him to be and that he is still very much in love with his Gunny. :) Let me know what you think and remember reviews make me update faster!


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello all! Due to an unexepcted errand for my parents, I've no time today to reply to the reviews as I usually do. I thank all of you for the great support.**

**I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! **

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**III**

**Washington DC, early February**** 2010**

Gibbs had refused to comment when he had been informed their current murder case's victim, Navy Lieutenant Justin Moss, had been meeting with a prostitute in a motel in Norfolk when he had been killed.

According to Moss' widow, the dead officer also worked as a reporter for the _Navy Herald_ and had been doing a piece on high-priced call girls in Norfolk. This was apparently why he was with an escort in the motel where he had been killed, to interview her. However, everyone in the office had found hard to believe the guy had been shedding 1,000 dollars from his own pocket every time he met the woman just to talk and get material for his exposé.

Anyway, thanks from the security cameras footage taken in the bar where Moss had met his source in previous occasions, Abby managed to give a face and a name to their mystery woman: Charlotte Cook.

"She was busted for prostitution two years ago," Abby exclaimed as she put her photo on the big screen in her lab. "If you get me a DNA sample, I could match that to the hairs that we found in the motel, and we can put her at the crime scene."

"She's been arrested before and her DNA's not on file?" Gibbs asked, surprised.

"Yeah. She must have had a really good lawyer; she was bailed out in a heartbeat and all the charges were dropped." Abby walked closer to him with an expectant face and said, "Gibbs. Guess who she used to work for?" She put another photo on the screen. "Anthony DiNozzo. The former DC male Madam. You should talk to him, Gibbs. Look, he's giving seminars on sexual harassment to government employees as part of his plea deal."

"Right. Community service," Gibbs commented absent-mindedly as he looked at the photo. It had been taken at a charity event and DiNozzo had smiled brightly at the photographer, perhaps because, if the NCIS agent had to believe to the photo caption, he had just signed a seven-figure deal to write a tell-all book.

Gibbs hadn't spared many thoughts for DiNozzo in the past month. He had been too busy with his job, with nursing a dislocated shoulder, with working to discover what M. Allison Hart and Colonel Bell were up, and with trying to find a way to save his former mother-in-law, Shannon's mom, from ending up in prison for murder.

Also, the past was the past. Tony had been important for him nineteen years ago, but now they were both different men— especially DiNozzo. Gibbs preferred to keep his memories of his time with Tony untouched, and not see them spoiled by a deeper knowledge of the ruthless man the boy had become. Pathetic as it might sound, Gibbs wanted to keep his illusions and believe he had been more than another john for the youth.

Gibbs returned to the present, just in time to stop Abby's ramblings about escorts and ordered her to find Charlotte Cook, because he hoped not to need DiNozzo's help to find her.

**-x-**

Two hours later, Gibbs found himself entering a federal building and walking to the conference room. His team hadn't been able to locate Charlotte Cook. She had gone off grid, and was now suspected of three more murders atop of Lieutenant Moss'.

So now he was here, looking for Anthony DiNozzo, in the hope he could help them to locate the woman before someone else died.

The conference room was almost packed full, but Gibbs managed to find a free seat in the last row, making sure DiNozzo would see him.

From there he observed that most of the audience was composed of women, and that they seemed more interested in ogling and mentally undressing DiNozzo than to what he was saying about how women interpreted things differently than men.

Gibbs could understand them; a part of him wanted to do that too. He was curious to know how the coltish boy's body had filled out and if he was still completely devoid of body hair. Would Gibbs still like to run his hand along his chest if it was no longer as smooth as in the past? Or would the presence of chest hair turn him off?

He shook his head, telling himself to take his mind out of the gutter. He was there for his job, nothing more.

"Agent Gibbs," DiNozzo said in that moment, walking toward him with a smile after having called a ten-minute break. "Are you checking up on me?"

"No," Gibbs answered sincerely. He stood up and walked closer to DiNozzo, not surprised to discover the younger man was now taller than him. He had always known the kid he had met in 1991 still had some growing to do.

They stepped together in the aisle and DiNozzo commented, raising his pant leg and showing him an ankle monitor. "You know, I never did thank you for this. It's not my preferred genre of gift, but well, it's not the present that matters, but the thought behind it."

Gibbs grinned in spite of himself as they walked in the corridor, "Well, I wouldn't complain, Anthony. Suspended sentence, no prison time. You got off pretty easy."

"It's Tony, not Anthony. And, yeah, you try not being able to go more than two miles from your home someday," DiNozzo retorted, but he was smiling.

"Oh, I did. Little beach shack in Mexico called 'retirement'. I liked it."

"Oh. And why'd you jump back in?" DiNozzo asked, clearly eager to hear his answer.

"Not here to talk about me," Gibbs replied firmly, wanting to lead to conversation away from personal themes, and back to job related matters.

"Why are you here?" DiNozzo asked, blocking his path by stepping in front of him, so close Gibbs could smell his cologne and almost feel his warmth.

Gibbs took out a print out from his inner pocket and unfolded it. "I need to find Charlotte Cook."

DiNozzo shook his head with a sad smile, "Well, I'm sorry. I can't help you. Part of my sentence was to stay away from my former employees. Why do you need to find her? Is she in trouble?"

"Yeah, she's a suspect in four murders."

"No, no, it's not possible. I know the women and the men I used to work with."

"Well, then..." Gibbs affirmed, taking another step forward, "you know where she is."

"Gibbs, if you couldn't find her, what makes you think that I can?" DiNozzo answered, half-exasperated, but then a strange expression appeared on his face. "Although..."

"Although...?" Gibbs pressed with a smirk. "It's gonna cost me, uh?"

"Oh, my rates have always been very reasonable, Special Agent Gibbs," DiNozzo commented with that sultry tone of his. "I'm just looking for...a little change of pace. And this...a dinner with you, at your place." The last eight words were whispered in Gibbs' ear, DiNozzo breath warm and light on his skin.

The NCIS agent shivered and shook his head, "That's a deal-breaker." He was curious about DiNozzo, and more than a little attracted to him, but he didn't want to let the other man play with him.

"Come on, Gibbs," DiNozzo insisted. "You need me: use me."

They looked at each other, both remembering a time when those verbs had had a different meaning, and then Gibbs nodded. "Okay." It was just a dinner, after all. "How do we find her?"

"Put me back in business," DiNozzo answered calmly. "She'll find me."

**IV**

Anthony DiNozzo was driving toward Alexandria. He knew he was breaking his parole and that he might end up in jail for that, but he didn't care.

The text message he had got from Charlotte had been cryptic, yet terribly clear: _Please come. I'm in trouble. 270 Stanhope Avenue, Alexandria__, 1__st__ floor. _He had read it and quickly decided he couldn't let her down another time.

When he had offered to help Gibbs to find Charlotte, he had done it not only because it would have allowed him to spend some time near the other man, but also because Tony wanted to help Charlotte to demonstrate she hadn't committed those murders. But his friend and former employee hadn't appreciated to know she had walked straight into a trap set by NCIS but planned by Tony—and he had felt badly because of it. He didn't like to think he had betrayed a friend.

That was why he was now driving to go to her; he wanted to help her and repair the damage he had caused to their friendship.

As he drove, Tony's thoughts re-lived the past couple of days. Seeing Gibbs again had been a wonderful surprise. Getting the chance to work with him, to observe him on the job, had been an incredible opportunity. Even if he had to bear with Agent Burley's snarky comments about him and his past profession—but Tony had evened the score when he had instructed Charlotte about what this john wanted.

Watching Burley's stunned face as he was repeatedly slapped had been priceless and Tony had struggled not to laugh aloud. Gibbs had given him a hard look, but not commented, and Tony hadn't known if he had been relieved or disappointed he hadn't been asked for an explanation. Had he been asked the reasons of his actions, Tony perhaps would have admitted that Burley's snarky comments hadn't been the only motive, but that he also didn't like how the NCIS Agent looked at Gibbs, in a way that hinted he might want to be more than a colleague to the older man.

Tony had made some researches about Leroy Jethro Gibbs after their meeting in January, and had discovered the man had been married – and divorced – thrice since 1991. Further researches had shown that all the wives had been similar to the one Tony had seen in the photos Cassie had mailed him who, in turn, had been a look-alike of Shannon, Gibbs' first wife, the one he had lost to murder, not divorce. It hadn't taken long to Tony to understand these three wives had just been poor attempts to replace the one he had lost.

The last divorce had been finalized in 2001 and since then Gibbs had been involved in brief relationships, all with women. His contacts – active in restaurants, bars, theatres, clubs, hotels, stadiums and many other places – had been quite emphatic in stating Gibbs had never been seen with a man, just with women, most of them red headed.

The idea he could be still the only man Gibbs had been with was very pleasant for Tony. He liked to think he had given the older man something no one else had—and to be the only one Gibbs had explored a part of himself with.

Tony wasn't angry with Gibbs for busting him and ruining his business. He had toyed with the idea of 'retirement' for the past couple of years, but he had always ended up postponing it. He enjoyed the power he had on other people because of what he knew about their tastes. He also liked the attention he got when he went to a party or some other kind of event and his name was announced. Tony had always loved to be in the spotlight, probably because, as a child, no one had really cared for him after his Mom's death.

But now Gibbs had forced him into retirement, and Tony didn't find he minded it. As the owner of one of DC's best Italian restaurants and of one Virginia Beach sporting club, and with a contract for a book in his bank safe, Tony had no financial problems and a lot of things to occupy his time.

The only thing he lacked was someone to share his life with, but maybe, now that he was finally in a legitimate business he could hope to spend time with Gibbs without causing troubles to the older man. Tony would really like if they could become friends…or even something more.

During their earlier conversation in the NCIS building, the older man had feigned disinterest when Tony, after talking about Charlotte, had started speaking about his past, but he had seen how keenly the NCIS agent had been listening.

"_So aren't you going to ask?" Tony said as he sipped the coffee Gibbs had given him, perfectly doctored to his tastes—that had never changed since 1991. He was thrilled to know the older man still remembered how he took his coffee, especially because they had gone to a bar together only once, the morning after they had spent a whole night sleeping in a public park…neither of them knowing it would have been their last time together. _

"_What?" Gibbs asked, puzzled. _

"_How'd an educated man like me, blah, blah, blah?" Tony explained with a smile. Gunny had never explicitly asked him, and somehow he found important the older man knew it._

"_No."_

"_No? Oh, come on, you know you want to," Tony couldn't believe his ears…and his eyes. The interest in Gibbs' eyes was evident…or was it worry? Was it possible the older man was afraid of his answer?_

"_No. I don't care."_

"_Oh, he doesn't care," Tony snorted, now fully convinced it was a lie. "When I was eighteen, I travelled to Oceanside on vacation. While I was there, I was robbed of everything but some cash and the clothes I had on. My father told me I had to work to get the funds for a ticket for home, so I would learn money didn't grow on trees. So I did just what he told me to do: I found a job."_

_Gibbs tilted his head to look at him better, "Somehow I don't think getting into the prostitution business was what your father had in mind when he told you to find a job."_

"_Well, considering the fact my old man is little more than con-man, I cannot rule it out," Tony snorted again. "I know he isn't doing well at the moment, and I wouldn't be too surprised if one of these days he phoned me asking for money."_

"_Well, if he does, you'll tell him money doesn't grow on trees, and to get a job," Gibbs commented with a smile, making Tony laugh._

"_I didn't know you had a sense of humor," the younger man commented, studying his companion._

"_I hadn't much to laugh about back then…although there was someone I knew that often managed to make me smile," Gibbs answered in a low voice, giving Tony a long, meaningful look. _

Gibbs had then stood up and walked away before Tony had managed to utter a single syllable, but the hope those lines and that look had stirred in him was still strong.

The older man felt something for him, that much he knew, although it wasn't clear exactly what kind of feeling it was. Tony fully planned to discover it—but first he had to settle this matter with Charlotte and help her out from the trouble she was in.

Checking his navigator, Tony saw he was very close to the address Charlotte had given him. A couple of minutes later he pulled his car up and entered inside a building that seemed to be completely deserted.

"Charlotte?" he called as he stepped at the first floor "It's me, Tony. Come out, I'm here to take you home." He heard a slight noise and he turned around with a reassuring smile, "Charlotte?"

"No," a male voice answered, as a figure came out from behind a pillar, a long knife blade glinting in the late afternoon light. "Charlotte isn't here. I am."

"You!" Tony exclaimed as he recognized Dwight Kasdan, Charlotte's lawyer. "You killed those men," he added as he backed away from the other man.

"Yes; I had to. If she's not going to stop seeing other men, Tony, I'm gonna make sure they can't see her," Kasdan explained as he continued to advance.

"Only my friends call me that— and you know what Charlotte did for a living," Tony replied, as he desperately looked for a way out. The man in front of him was completely crazy and the chances he could reason with him were slim.

"Did for _you_, Tony. I mean, you're the one that got her into this. It's your fault. Now I'm gonna get her out," Kasdan replied as he continued to advance. Tony kept on backing, until he realized with horror he had practically backed into a wall and he had nowhere to go.

Kasdan smiled triumphant and raised his knifed arm. "Good bye, Tony!" he snarled.

The blade fell down and Tony side-stepped, avoiding the blow. Kasdan roared with rage and raised his arm to attack again, but he never completed the gesture, because a gunshot echoed in the room and a bullet hit the man straight in his shoulder.

Tony moved away from Kasdan and saw Gibbs run inside the room, gun in hand. The killer tried to attack the NCIS agent, but two more bullets put an end to his murderous attempts and life.

"Are you okay?" Gibbs asked, as he lowered his weapon and went to check Tony.

"Yes, I am," Tony smiled weakly. "Thank you for coming to the rescue."

Gibbs shrugged as he put away his gun. "I've already bought the food for our dinner. Didn't want to see it wasted," he replied flatly, but his eyes were full of mirth.

Tony laughed in answered, already looking forward to their dinner and to more of Gibbs' caustic humor.

**-x-**

Tony felt like a kid at Christmas as followed Gibbs inside the older man's house. The NCIS agent, of course, didn't offer him a tour of the place, but from what Tony could say as they crossed the living room to reach the dining room, the house was pretty much like its owner: solid, warm, with simple and well-used furniture. It told him that Gibbs was a man with little interest in luxury stuff, that he wanted things to be practical, useful and comfortable; pretty much the same thing Tony had guessed by observing his clothes.

Clothes… Sitting at the table, Tony observed Gibbs as the man divvied the food in two plates and then pushed one in his direction. This evening he was dressed with a dark blue hoodie, faded jeans and boots. As with his work clothes, this attire did nothing to evidence the great body the man still had. Tony thought Gibbs would look terrific in a grey or dark blue tailored suit, but he doubted the older man would accept a sartorial advice or to be complimented for winning his battle against middle-age spread. So, after taking a few bites of the steak in his plate, he hummed appreciatively and decided to compliment something else.

"Okay, this has got to be the best steak I've ever had. Please tell me what your secret is," he said.

Gibbs shook his head and touched the steak in his plate with a fingertip, "It's all about the touch. When it's ready, I pour a little beer on it."

"Waste of beer," Tony teased with a smile, as he drank some of said beer, but Gibbs didn't reply to it.

Silence fell on them as they continued to eat, and Tony found himself at loss. He usually had no trouble in making a conversation flow, but now he had no idea of what he could say. More, he had no idea if he had to say something in the first place. Gibbs seemed comfortable with the silence, and in fact the atmosphere around the table wasn't heavy or stifling or uneasy. 'Gunny' had never been a talker during their time together, so probably Gibbs was a man of few words, which suited Tony just fine.

However, there was something Tony needed to say…and he did. "Thank you for delivering on my little, um, deal-breaker.

Gibbs put down his fork to look at him, half-amused, half-puzzled. "Really? It's that special?"

"Oh yeah... All I wanted was dinner without expectations. With a friend," Tony added, to gauge Gibbs' reaction.

"We're friends?" the older man asked.

Before Tony could answer, his cell phone chirped. "Excuse me," he said before answering. "Hello?"

"_Tony, it's me Rachel."_

"Hi," he greeted his former employee, one of the last girls he had trained before his forced retirement.

"_Tony, I think I might be pregnant, but I can't __risk taking the test at home, my father might see me. Can I come to your place, tonight?" _

"Tonight," Tony repeated uncertain. "What time?"

"_One hour? Oh, uh, please, could you buy the test for me? More than one type possibly? I'll refund you the costs, okay?"_

Tony inwardly sighed. Why did women never wanted to buy pregnancy tests for themselves? Were they all concerned by what the shop owner would think? "All right, I'll see what I can do," he answered tiredly, checking his watch.

"_Thank you. I'm happy to hear you again."_

"Me, too."

"_I'll see you soon, bye-bye." _

"All right, bye-bye," Tony ended the call and closed his cell phone. When he raised his eyes, he found Gibbs looking at him and suddenly wondered what the man might have guessed by hearing only Tony's side of the conversation.

"Oh... I can explain," he said quickly.

"No. You don't have to," Gibbs replied calmly.

"Mm, no, I know what you must be thinking. Oh, I... I, um..."

"I doubt that," Gibbs commented.

"I gotta go," Tony said, standing up and putting on his jacket. "Friends?" he asked as walked by the older man's chair. "I don't have many," he added, looking down at those two blue eyes he so much liked.

"Me, either," Gibbs replied, and Tony took it as a positive answer. Daring greatly he squeezed the man's shoulder and then left the room.

He had almost reached the front door, when a sudden impulse took him. He walked back to peer around the wall of the living room to look at Gibbs and what he saw made his heart clench.

The older man was sitting with his head bowed, not eating. He looked like a picture of utter loneliness, and it felt like a punch in the stomach to Tony.

He couldn't bear it. He quickly texted Rachel he wouldn't be able to free himself for at least two more hours, and walked back to the dining room.

His heart jumped in his chest when he saw surprise and pleasure flash in Gibbs' eyes upon hearing him say, "I've decided it's not so important to sacrifice a fantastic steak." It wasn't the truth, of course, but Tony felt Gibbs wouldn't appreciate if he told him his real reason.

Tony sat back at the table, made a great show of switching off his phone, and they both resumed eating, the silence around them comfortable and amicable.

Afterward Tony helped Gibbs to clean up and wash the dishes, something he hadn't done in ages, for he had a dishwasher in his apartment and a housekeeper to do all the cleaning. They talked about the current economical crisis, the conversation running smoothly.

By the end of the evening, when Tony was about to leave, he found himself asking, "So, can we be friends, Agent Gibbs?"

The older man nodded, "Yeah, we can—and call me Jethro."

"Jethro," Tony repeated, savoring the name, and left the house, before the temptation to kiss Jethro's smiling lips became too much to resist.

.

I always hated the end of "Guilty Pleasures", with Holly leaving Gibbs all alone…that last scene with him with his head bowed was heartbreaking. So…I decided to change things in this story. I hope you liked it. Let me know what you think and remember reviews make me update faster!

EDIT: I'm getting reviews about people wondering when Gibbs and Tony will get together...I can only say: PATIENCE! Feelings need time to develop, OK?


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks to: Angel , KB22, SpecialAgentJethro , Cam, Tinkerbellblu83 for their reviews!**

**.**

**V**

After that first evening together, organized because he had been asked for a dinner without expectations, they met other times. At the beginning Gibbs had been taken aback by his desire to renew his acquaintance with Tony after so long, especially considering the circumstances they had first met. This was no old buddy of his days at Camp Pendleton. This was the guy he had paid to fuck during one of the darkest times of his life. It was weird to want to be friends with Tony—yet it was exactly what Gibbs wanted, so he went for it.

The former Marine was a solitary kind of guy, meaning he didn't like to go in crowded places where he was obliged to dress and behave in certain way, to talk and be entertaining, and preferred his quiet home to bars and restaurants. But he liked to have company and Tony turned out to be just the kind company Gibbs favoured. He didn't ask stupid questions, didn't make even more stupid suggestions, and in general he knew when the older man wanted to talk or when he wanted to be left alone.

Gibbs enjoyed their dinners together. He liked to cook, but only if he had someone to share the meal with, and Tony was always appreciative of his culinary efforts, especially of his grilled 'cowboy style' steak, as the younger man called it.

After dinner, they sometime went down to the basement, where they talked a bit as Gibbs worked on some of his projects while Tony looked, or they watched a movie or a game, depending on what was available on his cable-less TV. Once or twice, they even played cards, which proved to be very engaging, for they were both good at bluffing at poker.

However, it soon became apparent there was an area where neither of them was good at bluffing: their feelings for each other. The liking was mutual...but it wasn't clear what either of them wanted from the other. Did they want just friendship or something more? Gibbs had caught some vibes suggesting they might both want to be more than friends, but neither of them had done the first step so far, uncertain of how the other would react.

The past between them, instead of smoothing things and removing the awkwardness two men might feel when they discover they feel attraction, but don't know if the other swings that way, made things more complex. It weighed heavily on them, and neither of them seemed inclined to talk about it. Gibbs because there wasn't really much to say about those hellish weeks, and he hated to talk about his past in general. As for Tony, maybe he didn't want to remember the time he had sold his body for money. Maybe they just wanted to start clean—because they were starting something, although Gibbs didn't know what it was.

Gibbs hadn't been upset by the rekindling of his attraction to the other man. While it was true he had never shown any interest for other men in the years before and after meeting Tony, he wasn't bothered to discover the younger man still was the exception to his heterosexuality. He took the new – or was it old? - development in stride and went on with his life. As a guy who had been hurt too many times – his break up with Hollis Mann, after he had thought he had finally found someone able to be happy with what he could give them, had been a bad blow—he was very cautious. As a man in his fifties who was no longer prey of raging hormones and his dick, he was also wise enough to understand sex wasn't everything.

He liked to spend time with Tony, someone who wasn't another LEO or former Marine, was always able to cheer him up, and was good company even when they ended up reading magazines sitting at the opposite ends of his couch.

His awkward teenager years long behind him, Gibbs was now very assertive in the matters of the heart. If someone interested him, he made his move and then watched what happened. But this time he couldn't just follow his attraction; he didn't want to jeopardize a potentially great friendship.

After all, Gibbs was well aware that none of his romantic relationships, except the one with Shannon, had lasted more than his friendship with Mike, Ducky or Abby. So he should probably settle for having Tony just as a friend and forget all about his attraction.

**-x-**

Tony watched amused as Jethro tried to hit the small golf ball with the club, but ended up only hitting the air. Truly golf wasn't a past time suitable for the former Marine.

"You must bend your knees a bit more and twist your torso like...this," Tony said, giving a demonstration and sending his own ball to land near the flag marking the hole. "See?"

Gibbs grumbled, positioned himself, swung his club...and dug a hole into the grass. The scorned expression on his face made Tony laugh, and Jethro threw him a murderous glance.

"Yeah, keep laughing...Wonder if you'll be still so cheerful when it looks like this piece of grass has been assaulted by a hoard of moles," the older man growled.

"Come on, Jethro, where is your sense of humour? It's nice for us common mortals to discover there is something a big, bad Marine turned Federal Agent isn't good at. However, since I don't want to see my golf course reduced like a piece of Emmenthal Cheese, I've a proposal for you. What if we forgot about golf and we go to try the pool? Did you bring your swim trunks?"

"Yeah, I did. I may be older than you, but I'm not deaf and my memory works well," Gibbs retorted, trying and failing again to hit the golf ball.

"Gee, I must remember not to tease you. Now let's go and change."

They left their golf clubs to the caddies and returned to the hotel building in amicable silence. Once there, they went to their respective rooms to change, agreeing to meet each other in the corridor in ten minutes.

Alone in his room, Tony took a moment for a long, deep calming breath. Going to the pool with Gibbs had been his plan all along. As a matter of fact, it was the main reason he had invited the older man to spend a weekend with him at his resort in Virginia Beach.

The past couple of months had been among the happiest of his life. He and Jethro had seen each other often, having dinner together, going to see a couple of games and, one weekend, they had gone sailing on the boat Gibbs had built with his bare hands. That trip had been a wonderful time. The older man had been relaxed, ready to joke, happy to be on the sea—and Tony had fallen in love with him again. Or maybe he had never fallen out of love, and all he needed was to stoke again the fire that had been dormant under the ashes.

Tony knew it was love and not just lust. He didn't dream just of steamy sex, but also of the warm kisses Gunny had never given him, of cuddling together in front of the fireplace, of walks hand in hand on the beach. He wanted all of it: the steamy sex, the kisses, the cuddles and the walks—but he wasn't sure about what Gibbs wanted.

Tony knew Jethro liked him and spending time together. He was aware the older man didn't do anything out of simple politeness or correctness...if he did, he would probably be the NCIS director by now. Gibbs did things he didn't like out of duty and seeing Tony in his free time wasn't among them. But did he want more than friendship or not?

While talking with the older man, Tony had said more than once he was good at reading people, and it was true—but apparently not with Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The guy was very difficult to read. The more personal or private the matter, the more difficult it was to gauge what he really felt or thought. That made things terribly frustrating for Tony, who wished to know where he stood with Gibbs. Could he hope for something more, or should he just be grateful for what he had—because Jethro wasn't a man who gave his friendship easily, and given their past, that was a lot more many people could ever hope to get?

In the end, the need to know had pushed Tony to make the decision to act, but in a subtle way, one that wouldn't cause irreparable damages if things didn't go as he hoped.

His plan required for Gibbs to see the tattoo Tony still had on his left hip, the one he had got while Gunny had been away on a mission, but which he had never seen. The tattoo Tony had never gotten removed, in the same way he had never thrown away the creased photo he still kept in his drawer.

By the way Gibbs would react to the sight of tattoo, Tony hoped to understand what the older man thought of it...and him.

So the whole weekend at the resort had been orchestrated to get both of them in the swimming pool, where Tony would have been able to show Gibbs his tattoo, in a way that was much nicer than simply asking Jethro if he could use his bathroom and then walk out with his jeans still open and his briefs low on his hips. Tony had been a whore, yes, but he was also a romantic, and if the tattoo would cause the reaction he hoped for, well, the indoor pool would be a perfect place for their...reunion.

And now the moment had come. A few minutes more and he and Gibbs would be in the pool, which Tony had reserved for their personal use because he didn't want anyone in the way, and he would finally know.

His palms were sweating as the changed in his red swim trunks, chosen for how they perfectly left his tattoo uncovered. Tony put on his bathrobe, briefly crossed his fingers, and then left the room.

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HA-HA! Little cliffie! Will Tony's plan work? How will Gibbs react? Let me know what you think and remember reviews make me update faster!


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks to Angel, Outraged Fanatic , Dolphinsiren77 and Ranma for the reviews!**

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Gibbs was already waiting for him in the corridor, wearing one of the resort's white bathrobes.

"This way," Tony instructed as they walked toward the elevator in the back of the building, which opened straight on the indoor pool.

This pool had been built to recreate a lake or a lagoon; it wasn't a classic rectangle, but it had a more irregular shape, with plenty of little 'bays' surrounded by vegetation, where people could sit and relax, before wading in the deeper water in the middle of the pool.

"Nice place," commented Gibbs as he looked around.

"Yeah, it is," Tony answered, pleased. He led the way toward his favourite among the 'bays'. "Here we go," he said when they reached their destination. "The water is tepid here, the perfect place to soak and get our muscles loose before diving in for a good swim."

Gibbs nodded and without losing time he removed his pool slippers and bathrobe, which was neatly folded on a nearby bench, waded in the water, moaning appreciatively.

"Like it?" Tony asked, as he devoured the older man's back and blue-clad ass with his eyes.

"Oh yeah," Gibbs answered, sitting down on one of the underwater steps and resting his back against the wall of the pool.

Tony watched as Jethro got completely comfortable, then took a deep breath and removed his bathrobe. He walked toward the edge of the water as keen, interested blue eyes scanned his form.

The younger man rejoiced upon seeing the way Gibbs was looking at him, because it most certainly wasn't the way one to looked at a friend...but still it wasn't the look Tony wished to see. It wasn't the look of a lover—of a potential life partner. It was full of lust, like most of the looks Tony had received in his life...but he was looking for affection. For love.

And then the roaming eyes stopped, there, straight over his left hip. They stopped and focused on his tattoo, and Tony saw them blaze and become even bluer as Jethro took in what the ink had painted on his skin: the Marine Corps emblem, followed by '_Semper Fi, my Gunny. I love you'_.

Gibbs stood up and waded toward Tony, his eyes never leaving the tattoo. When he was close enough, he reached up with his hand and brushed his fingers along the tattoo, as if he wanted to check if it was in high relief or something like that.

Tony bit his lower lip as those strong yet delicate fingers touched his bare skin for the first time in so many years. It felt very good, and he struggled to prevent his body from reacting to it.

"When?" Gibbs asked, his voice low and rough, looking up at Tony.

"About nineteen years ago... You had just left for your secret mission. I...wanted to surprise you when you came back," he answered honestly, hating how young his voice sounded. He had no idea of what Gibbs was thinking, and he was suddenly struck by the thought of how childish getting a tattoo claiming to love a guy he barely knew and who paid him for sex could look to the older man.

Gibbs brushed the tattoo again as he said, "You weren't there when I came back. I went to the club, looking for you...but you weren't there."

Tony reached down and trapped Jethro's hand against his hip. "Cassie had told me things that made me realize there was no future for us...or, at least, not the future I was hoping for..."

"What did she tell you?"

"That you were a very distraught widower, not completely in your right mind, and that your actions, your coming with me, were uncharacteristic of you. She said that as soon as you recovered from your tragedy, you would find another woman to marry...So she told me to go away and start over in another place." Tony swallowed hard, and then looked straight at Gibbs' eyes. "Was she right, Jethro? Or was she wrong and I wasted nineteen years...would have wasted many more if fate didn't bring us together again? Tell me, please."

Gibbs nodded slowly, his voice rough. "She was right. Her advice was wise. I wasn't ready for another relationship back then. I came to you because you made me forget my desperation for a little while. I came to you when loneliness became too hard to bear—and those aren't the basis for a long-term relationship. Trust me; I've learned it in the hard way, even if it took me three divorces to finally get it in my head."

Tony nodded, the lump in his throat and his grip over Gibbs' hand getting tighter with each word the older man said. Perhaps that was the reason Jethro wasn't pursuing anything more than friendship with him. Because if the reasons that pushed Gibbs to look for his company now were the same of the past, well, really, there wasn't much hope for a deeper relationship between them.

"But that was the past," Jethro went on in the silence that followed, and Tony's heart started to run again.

"It was?" he wondered aloud.

"Yes...things are different now. I'm no longer looking for a brief reprieve when I'm with you. I like to spend time with you because of who you are. I like having you in my house, not because I'm lonely, but because you make it a better place when you're there. I-I have come to love you because you are _you_...and the past is just the past."

"And the future awaits us?" Tony asked, needing that final confirmation.

Jethro nodded and simply said, "Yes." He took a step back, freed his hand and reached out to Tony. "Come."

Tony took the offered hand and stepped into the water, feeling its warmth surround him as he tried to cope with he had just heard. Jethro loved him and wanted a future with him. It was much more than he had hoped for. He felt dizzy and swayed, but strong arms caught him and he was guided to sit on the underwater step, near Gibbs.

Jethro turned to look at him, a silent question in his eyes, and Tony nodded. An instant later Gibbs' lips were on his.

Hard and yet soft. Warm. Lush. Everything Tony knew those lips would be, and more. His mouth opened willingly under the older man's assault, moaning when he felt a hot tongue exploring him.

When the need to breath made them separate, they took a moment to look at each other with wonder and excitement, then Tony moved forward, capturing those lips again and giving back as much as he got.

The water buoyed them as Tony's hands roamed over Jethro's skin with an elated, wild abandon, touching, caressing, and relearning the body he had thought he would never touch again. Gibbs' fingers also explored, his touch sure, almost possessive, but gentle all the same. The younger man moaned when two strong hands pulled him against Jethro, so that the skin of their chests and legs now touched.

A faint noise from the direction of the entry made them remember where they were. Gibbs gently broke their kiss, and pressed his forehead against the younger man's chest as he struggled to control his breath. They were both panting and restlessly rubbing against each other, and Tony was sitting on Jethro's lap, the older man's cock hot and hard beneath his buttocks.

"We need to leave..." Gibbs said harshly after a moment. "Anyone could walk on us..."

"I don't care...I own this place...I can do anything I want..." Tony answered dizzy with want, twisting his hips to both stimulate his lover's erection and rub his own cock against the older man's belly.

Gibbs' fingers dug deep into his sides, stilling his movements as he grounded between clenched teeth, "Not here, DiNozzo."

The bruising hold on his hips and the use of his surname cleared Tony's mind from its red fog of lust. Sanity returned and he nodded, "You're right. Not here."

They sat together in the pool, not touching or looking, letting the water cool them down, and then, when they both felt more in control, they stepped out and put on their bathrobes.

"My room," Tony answered at unspoken question, "I have everything there..."

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Yeah, I know, I'm an evil tease…Did you like their…wet…reunion? I hope so! Let me know what you think and remember reviews make me update faster!


	12. Chapter 12

**First of all, thank you all for yesterday reviews. I really appreciated them. I've no time to reply to them today because the family situation I mentioned when I first posted this story has just gotten more serious. I'll leave for the hospital to relieve my mother in 20 minutes, so I've just the time to post this chapter. **

**I hope you'll like this final chapter/epilogue. Please let me know what you think of it...You know reviews always cheer me up, and right now I need a lot of cheering up. :(**

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**-x-**

Gibbs stared straight in front of him as they returned to their bedrooms, not sparing a look at Tony's bathrobe clad body as they stepped into the elevator to avoid any temptation to reach out and touch or kiss him.

His mind was still reeling with what they had done in the pool—and with how fast it had happened. They had passed from not knowing how the other felt to declaring their love and desire to have a committed relationship, to almost having sex in a public place, all within five minutes.

Gibbs wasn't surprised by the strength of his feelings for Tony now that he had finally voiced them, and he didn't really care to know when he had started loving the younger man. He just knew he did with the same certainty he had known he loved Shannon by the end of that fateful train journey, and that he was loved back.

Their first kisses had been so good. They had been natural, almost familiar, as if they had already done it. Gibbs couldn't remember the last time it had felt so spontaneous to make out in public, but the pool had felt so good, with its warm water surrounding and cradling them. He hadn't wanted to leave it, but his common sense had prevailed. He didn't care the place belonged to Tony, getting caught having sex by some tourist or, worse, by someone able to recognize one or both of them, wasn't something he wanted to experience.

Gibbs looked at the elevator display noticing with approval it had almost reached their floor. When it did, they almost bolted from the car and walked to Tony's bedroom, where Gibbs looked on, increasingly impatient, as the younger man fumbled with the key card. It was nice to see cool, refined Anthony DiNozzo so affected by what they had just done, and by the idea of what they would do.

Once the door opened, Tony gestured Gibbs to go in first. The older man did, and then stepped aside to let his companion pass. Tony made a move for the chairs, but Gibbs grabbed him by his bathrobe and shoved him into the wall a second later, pressing against him, hot and hard.

The older man took Tony's head in both his hands to keep him still and kissed him, thoroughly. Tony answered with matching ardour, his own hands rising to cup Gibbs' nape.

Then Gibbs left the younger man's lips and began nipping along his chin, down his neck, tasting and sighing.

"Jethro..." Tony breathed, his arms sliding down to cup his lover's buttocks.

"You taste so damn good..." Gibbs replied, grinding his hips against the other man. There were too many clothes in the way, so he stepped back and got rid of his bathrobe, as Tony did the same. A moment later the former Marine was again on the other man, running his tongue against the shell of his ear.

"What do you want?" he asked softly.

"You," Tony answered, rocking his hard cock against his own.

"You need to be more specific," Gibbs teased, reaching down with a hand between their bodies, and slipping it inside the younger man swim trunks. Many years had passed since the last time he had held a cock that wasn't his own in his hand, but the knowledge of what Tony liked returned to him after a couple of strokes.

"Feels good," Tony moaned, bracing with his hands over Gibbs' shoulders.

"It's supposed to," the older man commented before claiming his lover's mouth in a scorching kiss.

Tony bucked up against him, moaning loudly into his mouth. Then the younger man started pushing at his shoulders, until Gibbs took a step away.

"Stop..." Tony groaned, closing his eyes and panting harshly. "Don't move or I'll come in your hand, and I don't want that."

"What do you want?" Gibbs repeated his earlier question, removing his hand from Tony's groin.

"I want you inside me...like back then...I wanna see if it'll be good as I remember...if you're still able to make me come as you fuck me..."

Gibbs' cock twitched upon hearing those words, and his voice was rough with need when he said, "Is this a challenge? 'Cause, you know, I love challenges..." He caressed Tony's lower lip with the fingers he had just removed from his cock, and he almost came right there when the younger man pulled them in his mouth and sucked on them.

"On the bed...now," Gibbs growled.

Tony shivered in response to his command, dropping his swim trunks as he went. The older man stalked after him, his own trunks quickly abandoned. They fell together onto the bed, hands stroking, lips kissing, teeth nipping, and tongues licking.

As they rolled on the bed pressed together, Gibbs briefly remembered the time when he had wondered if he would have been turned off by a hairy, male body. The answer, now he knew, was a big no. Tony's now sported a considerable amount of body hair, and Gibbs had quickly discovered he liked the feel of it under his hands, or brushing against his own skin.

Before long, Tony rolled on his side and reached out for the night table, pulling out lube and a condom from the drawer.

"Here," he said, putting them in Gibbs' hand, "make good use of them..." Then laid on his back and pulled his knees to his chest.

This was the first time Gibbs would have to prepare Tony, because in the past the younger man had always gone to him already ready to be taken.

He poured a generous amount of lube on his fingers and, despite the need pulling at him, he set out to prepare Tony as best as he could. He took his time fingering and stretching, until the passage he was readying became loose and very slick and Tony was moaning almost continuously and trying to fuck himself on Gibbs' fingers.

Gibbs lost no time in putting on the condom and slicking it with some more lube. "Do you want to roll over?" he asked, remembering how he had always taken him from behind in the past.

"No...I want to see you..." Tony answered, spreading his legs even more.

Gibbs nodded and positioned himself at his lover's opening, slowly pushing forward, breaching the body beneath him. Tony moaned, hands tightly gripping the sheets, but he was smiling as Gibbs sank deep inside him, a smile that became a broad grin when the older man bottomed out.

"You okay?" Gibbs whispered as he rocked languidly, enjoying how the tight channel milked him.

"Never better...you feel as good as I remembered...Now move and make me fly..." Tony answered, arching his neck to give him a brief kiss.

Gibbs laughed at the murmured command, and did as he was told. He began to thrust, first slowly then more quickly. Tony arched his hips, eagerly meeting each stroke, as their moans and groans filled the room.

Far too soon Gibbs felt his balls tightening as he drove into his lover, his pace increasing, so he took Tony's thick cock in his slick hand, stroking down its length in counterpoint to his thrusts.

Tony cried out, his movements increasingly frantic as the sensations became overwhelming. His prostate was being hit with every thrust, sending shocks of pleasure throughout his body and his cock was in Gibbs' tight grip, the slick fist causing an unbearably pleasurable friction.

A few pumps more and Tony's body convulsed as he came, with a strangled "Jethro!" so remindful of the "Gunny!" he had screamed the first time Gibbs had made him come...a lifetime ago.

The clenching of his lover's body around his cock made Gibbs lose his control, and he came too, groaning Tony's name against the younger man's skin.

Some time later, Gibbs finally slipped out of Tony's body and collapsed at his side. The younger man rolled over, and rested his head over his lover's chest as they both sighed.

They lay like that for a long time, resting, simply being with each other. Then Tony moved his leg and grimaced, "We're gonna be stuck together."

"Let me get something to clean us up," Gibbs said, sliding out of bed and walking to the bathroom to get rid of the condom and return with a wet towel. It was the work of a few moments to clean them, and then he dropped the towel by the bed and climbed under the covers with Tony. It was only mid-afternoon, but neither of them seemed inclined to move.

"Thank you," Tony said, rolling to use Gibbs as pillow again.

"Mmm... my pleasure," the older man said.

Tony snorted, "Mine too."

"I hope so."

"Oh, yes. It was exactly how I remembered...no better. This time we were both making love, not just fucking." Reaching out one hand, Tony found Gibbs' and intertwined their fingers. "Love makes everything better."

"Yeah..." Gibbs nodded, squeezing Tony's finger and wrapping his other arm around his shoulders. "It does."

"Not always..." Tony murmured against his chest.

Gibbs frowned. "What?"

"Love can also cause complications. It did to me in the past...it might still."

"You worried about something?" Gibbs asked, perplexed by the turn taken by the conversation.

"Not about me, about you. Women will flock to buy my book if I write in it the Navy cop that busted me is my first, long-lost love and that we're now together again. But you...this relationship could cause you problems with your job," Tony explained, raising his head to look at him straight in the eyes.

"No, it won't. We'll be discreet and my Director won't mind it long as I keep my private life out of the office. After all, I won't be the first or the last law enforcement officer falling for a prostitute."

"Yeah, but those usually are cops falling for streets hookers—and I was never one of those," Tony pouted, but his eyes were full of mirth.

"I know. You were a high-end gigolo, not to mention a terrific dancer," Gibbs answered with a smile.

Tony's eyes flashed with a light Gibbs couldn't recognize, and then he bolted out of bed and opened the closet.

"What are you doing?" the older man asked, confused, rising to sit on the mattress.

"Wait and see," Tony answered from behind the open closet door that hid him.

Gibbs heard some grunts and a muffled curse and arched an eyebrow. What was going on?

Finally Tony's head peeked from behind the closet door and he asked, "Remember when I told you how I wanted to show you my tattoo upon your return from your mission?" Gibbs nodded. "Well, this is how I had planned to do it..."

There was a slight click and then a sexy, sultry beat filled the room, as Tony stepped out from behind the closet door wearing his 'biker' costume from his shows at the _Sensual Delights_: a red bandana around the neck, black leather pants and fingerless gloves, biker boots. The pants were now too tight – and Gibbs thought they were the reason of the muffled curse he had heard—so Tony had to left them open, which made the whole attire even sexier.

As Tony danced around the room, thrusting and twisting his hips in rhythm with the music, Gibbs felt transported in time. He remembered the evenings spent at the _Sensual Delights_, watching Tony dance and fantasizing the youth was dancing only for him.

But now, Gibbs thought with a smile, as he scooted down the bed to be closer to the younger man and touch him as he moved, the fantasy had become reality and from now on, Tony would dance only for him—or with him.

**Epilogue**

**Alexandria, Virginia, July 4****th**** 2011**

Cassie Mills stepped out from the taxi and looked at the house in front of her.

"Are you sure this is the correct address?" she asked to her companion.

Rick Owens limped closer to her and checked a small piece of paper. "Yes, this is the right place. Why do you ask? Is there something wrong?"

Cassie didn't answer as she observed the house. There was nothing wrong with it. It was well-kept and freshly painted, with rose bushes on the front and surrounded by a white-picket fence. It was the typical American middle class house, the dream of every couple who got together and hoped to raise a family. But it wasn't the place where Anthony DiNozzo would ever choose to live, at least as far Cassie had thought.

Tony always had a taste for fine things: designer clothes and shoes, silken sheets, stylish haircuts, expensive cars. Cassie had expected him to live in ultra-modern condominium with annexed gym and indoor pool. After all, he didn't lack for money. He owned a restaurant and a luxurious resort, and his just released book, which Cassie still had to read, was already a best seller, and the Hollywood majors were fighting among each other to buy the rights to make a movie out of it.

"Are you gonna to ring the bell or do you plan to stay here for the whole day?" Rick asked.

Cassie threw him a dirty look before pushing the gate open and walking toward the door. As she got closer to the house, she heard voices and laughter coming from the back of the building and smelled the scent of grilled meat. Her stomach rumbled. She hadn't eaten anything after the small meal she had got on the plane hours before, and their stop to the hotel had lasted just long enough to register and drop their luggage. He hoped that whoever was cooking in the backyard – she was ready to swear it wasn't Tony, who was known to burn water – had something left for them too.

Cassie rang the bell and heard a well-known voice call from inside the house. "I'm going to get it. They must be my friends from California."

A few seconds later the door opened and the first thing Cassie noticed was how good and how happy Tony looked. His smile was broad, genuine and it set his green eyes alight with joy. It relaxed Cassie, and all the vague worries that had assaulted her after Tony's invitation and at the sight of this house, disappeared. She responded in kind to his enthusiastic embrace and kiss, as her heart swelled with joy. Her kid was well—hell, more than well.

"Cassie, sweetheart, you look wonderful," Tony complimented her.

"And you still are a very handsome and convincing liar," she retorted playfully.

"You wound me," Tony replied, putting his left hand over his heart and he greeted Rick with his right one, "Hey Rick, good to see you again, man."

"You too, Tony."

"Come inside now, lunch is almost ready. We were waiting for you."

"Sorry for the delay," Cassie commented as she stepped inside, looking around herself with curiosity, "but we...I wasn't sure this was the correct place."

Tony laughed at her look and comment. "I get it. You think this house isn't my style...You're right. But you see, its owner, my partner, he is _exactly_ my style, and he didn't have to work very hard to convince me to move in with him. As a matter of fact I was already nodding while he was still at the 'Tony, would you consider to-'..."

'_My partner'. That's why he's so happy!_ Cassie thought. She smiled broadly and pulled Tony in her arms for another hug. "I'm so happy for you, kid! I feared for a long time you would never get over your crush for that Marine. I'm so relieved you finally managed to get over him and find love again."

Tony stepped back from her arms and gave her a little grin and a look she couldn't decipher. "Come on, I want to introduce you to my man," he said as he started moving.

As they crossed the house toward the backyard, Cassie commented, "I guess you finally got rid of that tattoo, uh? I bet it hurt like hell to have it removed."

Tony didn't reply, and Cassie didn't insist, because they were now on the porch overlooking the backyard. There were several people sitting at a long, sturdy wooden table, and Tony led Rick and her toward them.

"The one sitting at the end of the table is Doctor Mallard, but he goes by Ducky. He's NCIS chief Medical Examiner, and has an encyclopaedic culture and can go on talking for hours. Near him, there is his faithful assistant, Jimmy Palmer. He still needs to work on his story telling skills, but he is progressing well. At his right, there is NCIS Special Agent Ziva David—don't make her angry, 'cause he used to be a Mossad operative and claims she can kill a man using a paperclip in eighteen different ways. In front of her there are Special Agents Timothy McGee, who moonlights as a novelist, and Stanley Burley, who today will eat only salad, for he's nursing an ulcer he claims has been caused by working with his boss. One would guess he should have an iron stomach by now, since he has been working for the same man for the past twelve years. At last but not least, we've our Mistress of the Dark, Abby Sciuto, NCIS Forensic and Ballistic specialist, another woman you don't want to cross, 'cause she could kill you without leaving any forensic evidence. This is the bunch of people that busted me, but they're now all great friends."

Cassie and Rick moved toward the table and shook hands and exchanged introductions with all the persons sitting around the table, but her eyes kept darting toward the man Tony had yet to introduce. The guy was standing near the grill, with his back turned toward them. He was dressed with a blue t-shirt and khaki shorts, and sported a nice back, a fine ass, and a silver-haired head. Cassie was more than a little intrigued.

Tony noticed her glances and cocked his head, "Come; let's satisfy your curiosity."

As they crossed the backyard toward the grill, Tony asked idly, "Remember I didn't answer to your comment about my tattoo?"

"Yes, I do" she replied, curious.

"I hadn't it removed 'cause my Gunny here wouldn't like if I got rid of it." And speaking so, Tony put an arm around the silver-haired man and whispered something in his ear.

Cassie's mouth opened in surprise as the older man turned around and she saw his face. His features were far more lined than he remembered them to be, and the hair, of course, was no longer dark—but the eyes were the same: blue, intent...and full of happiness.

"Cassie," Tony murmured, wrapping again an arm around his partner's waist. "Let me introduce you former USMC Gunnery Sergeant and NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

Cassie shook hands with the man, and then Gibbs returned to the grill and whistled—hard. "All right people, food is ready. Come here with your plates and we'll fill them."

The group sitting at the table rushed toward the two men, talking, laughing and generally having a good time. Since Cassie was already near the grill, she had her plate filled first, so she could step back and watch as Tony and his Gunny worked side by side to fill the plates. They never bumped elbows or got in each other's way, a coordination that spoke of familiarity and many meals prepared together.

When everyone was served and eating, the two men went to fill their own plates, and walked toward the table, where they stopped a moment to look at each other before sitting down.

Cassie felt a lump in her throat as he saw the looks of pure love Tony and his Gunny exchanged, and she found herself thinking she had been wrong, all those years ago. Fairy tales a la 'Pretty Woman' and 'My Fair Lady' did happened—even if sometimes it took them twenty years to reach the long dreamed 'happily after ever' end.

Cassie shook his head and then, with a smile she walked toward the table, and joined the rest of the group. This was really gonna be wonderful 4th of July.

THE END

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Well, it is done. Thanks so much for all the support you showed these past two weeks. When I posted this story, which, as I mentioned, is one of my favourites along with its sequel, I hoped it would be well received, but your response went beyond my hopes. I'm really, really happy so many of you enjoyed the story.

And speaking of the sequel, **"Jethro's Love"** , here there is the summary: when Gibbs is tortured by Paloma Reynosa, it will be up to Tony to pick up the pieces and deal with Gibbs' wounds, both physical and emotional. How will this situation affect their recently-born relationship?

It will feature Jackson Gibbs, Mike Franks, Ducky, Vance etc...and a situation that, as far as I know has never been dealt with in Tibbs stories...

Stay tuned for it!


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